How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Spain?

16 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2023.

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.

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

Belgium

164,518 Persons

in 2023

Spain

431,848 Persons

in 2023

Belgium rank

8th

Spain rank

6th

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

Belgium
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 431,848 Persons against 164,518 Persons in Belgium, a difference of 267,330 Persons.

That makes Spain's figure about 2.6 times Belgium's.

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

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

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

Head to head by decade

Decade	Belgium	Spain	Difference	Ahead
2000s	80,157 Persons	298,154 Persons	217,997 Persons	Spain
2010s	112,382 Persons	352,941 Persons	240,560 Persons	Spain
2020s	161,762 Persons	415,254 Persons	253,493 Persons	Spain

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 Spain?: Spain, at 431,848 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 Spain?: 267,330 Persons, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Spain?: 16 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2023.
How do Belgium and Spain rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel?: Belgium ranks 8th and Spain 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 Spain: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 11 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/spain/

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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: 21 August 2026

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).