Belgium vs Netherlands: Central government spending as share of GDP
Belgium
39.7%
in 2022
Netherlands
40.0%
in 2023
Belgium rank
20th
Netherlands rank
18th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 40.0% against 39.7% in Belgium, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Netherlands ahead.
Belgium ranks 20th and Netherlands ranks 18th of 157 countries.
Belgium has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.9% | 41.9% | 2.9% | Belgium |
| 2000s | 42.1% | 38.6% | 3.6% | Belgium |
| 2010s | 42.6% | 40.5% | 2.2% | Belgium |
| 2020s | 41.6% | 41.4% | 0.2% | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 40.0% against 39.7% in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 0.3%, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2022.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 20th and Netherlands ranks 18th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.