R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D in Belgium

Belgium: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D was 164,518 Persons in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
164,518 Persons
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
7th
of 25 countries
All-time high
164,518 Persons
in 2023
All-time low
73,187 Persons
in 2002
Years of data
16
2002–2023

R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D in Belgium, 2002–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k2002201220232002: 73.2k Persons2003: 73.6k Persons2004: 76.3k Persons2005: 78.5k Persons2006: 80.5k Persons2007: 83.5k Persons2008: 86.7k Persons2009: 88.8k Persons2010: 88.8k Persons2011: 94.4k Persons2013: 100.4k Persons2015: 113.6k Persons2017: 129.0k Persons2019: 148.1k Persons2021: 159.0k Persons2023: 164.5k Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

In 2023, r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d in Belgium stood at 164,518 Persons. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 63.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d in Belgium peaked at 164,518 Persons in 2023 and was at its lowest, 73,187 Persons, in 2002.

That places Belgium 7th out of 25 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D Personnel (total economy) in Belgium, 2002 to 2023.
Year Persons Change
2002 73,187 Persons
2003 73,629 Persons +0.6%
2004 76,340 Persons +3.7%
2005 78,509 Persons +2.8%
2006 80,538 Persons +2.6%
2007 83,540 Persons +3.7%
2008 86,746 Persons +3.8%
2009 88,770 Persons +2.3%
2010 88,803 Persons +0.0%
2011 94,424 Persons +6.3%
2013 100,423 Persons +6.4%
2015 113,576 Persons +13.1%
2017 129,002 Persons +13.6%
2019 148,062 Persons +14.8%
2021 159,005 Persons +7.4%
2023 164,518 Persons +3.5%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 164,518 Persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 132,622 Persons, 1.2× the median. (21 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 164,518 Persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 136,238 Persons, 1.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 80,157 Persons 73,187 Persons 88,770 Persons 8
2010s 112,382 Persons 88,803 Persons 148,062 Persons 6
2020s 161,762 Persons 159,005 Persons 164,518 Persons 2

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 4 Spain 431,848 Persons compare
  2. 5 France 390,631 Persons
  3. 5 Croatia 28,059 Persons compare
  4. 6 Lithuania 25,940 Persons compare
  5. 6 Chinese Taipei 388,265 Persons compare
  6. 7 Slovenia 25,863 Persons compare
  7. 8 Latvia 14,073 Persons compare
  8. 8 Portugal 163,630 Persons compare
  9. 9 Austria 154,827 Persons compare
  10. 9 Estonia 13,729 Persons compare
  11. 10 Switzerland 149,651 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d in Belgium?
R&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d in Belgium was 164,518 Persons in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 164,518 Persons in 2023.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 73,187 Persons in 2002.
How does Belgium rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d?
Belgium ranks 7th out of 25 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 63.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-formal-qualification-r-and-d-personnel/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
34 places, 789 data points, 1981–2024
Last refreshed

This table presents research and development (R&D) personnel statistics. Number of R&D personnel is provided in headcounts;D by sex, sector of employment (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit) and by formal qualification (university and other diplomas by ISCED classification).