Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium

Belgium: Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and was 3.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
3.6%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
1st
of 48 countries
All-time high
3.6%
in 2021
All-time low
1.7%
in 2002
Years of data
16
2002–2023

Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium, 2002–2023

012342002201220232002: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2003: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2004: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2005: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2006: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2007: 1.8 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2008: 1.8 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2009: 1.9 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2010: 1.8 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2011: 2 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2013: 2 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2015: 2.3 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2017: 2.6 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2019: 2.9 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2021: 3.6 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2023: 3.6 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC).

Analysis

In 2023, share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium stood at 3.6%.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 74.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium peaked at 3.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2002.

That places Belgium 1st out of 48 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex in Belgium, 2002 to 2023.
Year Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC) Change
2002 1.7%
2003 1.7% +0.0%
2004 1.7% +1.8%
2005 1.7% +0.6%
2006 1.7% +1.8%
2007 1.8% +2.3%
2008 1.8% +2.8%
2009 1.9% +1.6%
2010 1.8% -1.6%
2011 2.0% +7.1%
2013 2.0% +4.6%
2015 2.3% +12.2%
2017 2.6% +13.5%
2019 2.9% +12.3%
2021 3.6% +22.9%
2023 3.6% -0.8%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 3.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.2%, 1.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 3.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 1.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.7% 1.7% 1.9% 8
2010s 2.3% 1.8% 2.9% 6
2020s 3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 2

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 2 Iceland 3.5% compare
  2. 3 Norway 3.4% compare
  3. 4 Austria 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 51 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium?
Share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium was 3.6% in 2023, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2021.
What is the lowest share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2002.
How does Belgium rank for share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and?
Belgium ranks 1st out of 48 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 74.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-in-total-active-population-and-employment-by/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex
Unit
Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
51 places, 1,043 data points, 1992–2024
Last refreshed