Belgium vs France: Military spending as a share of government spending
Belgium
3.7%
in 2025
France
3.5%
in 2025
Belgium rank
126th
France rank
128th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Belgium
- France
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 3.7% against 3.5% in France, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 38 shared years of data; in 1988 it was France ahead.
Belgium ranks 126th and France ranks 128th of 162 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.6% | 5.8% | 1.2% | France |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 4.7% | 1.5% | France |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 3.8% | 1.4% | France |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 3.3% | 1.5% | France |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 3.4% | 1.1% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Belgium or France?
- Belgium, at 3.7% against 3.5% in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Belgium and France?
- 0.2%, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and France?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1988 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and France rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Belgium ranks 126th and France ranks 128th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.