Belgium vs Netherlands: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel

Belgium
164,518 Persons
in 2023
Netherlands
260,716 Persons
in 2023
Belgium rank
8th
Netherlands rank
6th

R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel over time

  • Belgium
  • Netherlands
50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k199920112023

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 260,716 Persons against 164,518 Persons in Belgium, a difference of 96,198 Persons.

That makes Netherlands's figure about 1.6 times Belgium's.

Across all 16 years both countries report, Netherlands has been ahead every year.

Belgium ranks 8th and Netherlands ranks 6th of 30 countries.

Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium Netherlands Difference Ahead
2000s 80,157 Persons 115,489 Persons 35,332 Persons Netherlands
2010s 112,382 Persons 188,851 Persons 76,469 Persons Netherlands
2020s 161,762 Persons 249,850 Persons 88,089 Persons Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel, Belgium or Netherlands?
Netherlands, at 260,716 Persons against 164,518 Persons in Belgium as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel between Belgium and Netherlands?
96,198 Persons, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
16 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2023.
How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel?
Belgium ranks 8th and Netherlands ranks 6th of 30 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Belgium vs Netherlands: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-function-r-and-d-personnel-total-economy/belgium/netherlands-2/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 1,049 data points, 1981–2024
Last refreshed

This table contains research and development (R&D) personnel statistics. Number of R&D personnel is provided in both headcounts and full-time equivalent on R&D by sex, sector of employment (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit) and by function (researchers, technicians and other support staff).