Belgium vs Netherlands
Belgium vs Netherlands: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.01% of GDP in Belgium and 2.2% of GDP in Netherlands, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 0.19 percentage points, or 1.09 times that in Belgium.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Netherlands has been higher since 1992, when it overtook Belgium.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 61 and Netherlands ranked 48 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Belgium | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.01 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 1.28 | 1.94 |
| 2023 | 1.17 | 1.44 |
| 2022 | 1.17 | 1.3 |
| 2021 | 1.04 | 1.37 |
| 2020 | 1.01 | 1.41 |
| 2019 | 0.89 | 1.29 |
| 2018 | 0.89 | 1.2 |
| 2017 | 0.89 | 1.14 |
| 2016 | 0.9 | 1.14 |
| 2015 | 0.91 | 1.12 |
| 2014 | 0.97 | 1.15 |
| 2013 | 1.01 | 1.16 |
| 2012 | 1.04 | 1.23 |
| 2011 | 1.05 | 1.28 |
| 2010 | 1.09 | 1.32 |
| 2009 | 1.16 | 1.39 |
| 2008 | 1.22 | 1.3 |
| 2007 | 1.1 | 1.35 |
| 2006 | 1.06 | 1.39 |
| 2005 | 1.1 | 1.39 |
| 2004 | 1.16 | 1.42 |
| 2003 | 1.22 | 1.44 |
| 2002 | 1.22 | 1.42 |
| 2001 | 1.28 | 1.44 |
| 2000 | 1.35 | 1.43 |
| 1999 | 1.39 | 1.57 |
| 1998 | 1.42 | 1.56 |
| 1997 | 1.46 | 1.64 |
| 1996 | 1.52 | 1.74 |
| 1995 | 1.55 | 1.77 |
| 1994 | 1.68 | 1.91 |
| 1993 | 1.74 | 2.03 |
| 1992 | 1.83 | 2.21 |
| 1991 | 2.29 | 2.25 |
| 1990 | 2.36 | 2.37 |
| 1989 | 2.46 | 2.52 |
| 1988 | 2.63 | 2.61 |
| 1987 | 2.9 | 2.71 |
| 1986 | 2.95 | 2.73 |
| 1985 | 2.93 | 2.77 |
| 1984 | 3.01 | 2.86 |
| 1983 | 3.19 | 2.85 |
| 1982 | 3.27 | 3.14 |
| 1981 | 3.37 | 2.86 |
| 1980 | 3.25 | 2.78 |
| 1979 | 3.26 | 2.84 |
| 1978 | 3.26 | 2.75 |
| 1977 | 3.14 | 2.95 |
| 1976 | 3.09 | 2.69 |
| 1975 | 3.07 | 2.84 |
| 1974 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| 1973 | 2.84 | 2.7 |
| 1972 | 2.88 | 2.82 |
| 1971 | 2.9 | 2.84 |
| 1970 | 2.92 | 2.87 |
| 1969 | 2.93 | 3.23 |
| 1968 | 3.12 | 3.26 |
| 1967 | 3.14 | 3.52 |
| 1966 | 3.11 | 3.37 |
| 1965 | 2.97 | 3.57 |
| 1964 | 3.21 | 3.93 |
| 1963 | 3.22 | 4.01 |
| 1962 | 3.29 | 4.12 |
| 1961 | 3.26 | 4.09 |
| 1960 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| 1959 | 3.52 | 4.02 |
| 1958 | 3.57 | 4.72 |
| 1957 | 3.61 | 5.32 |
| 1956 | 3.56 | 5.79 |
| 1955 | 3.78 | – |
| 1954 | 4.88 | – |
| 1953 | 4.86 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belgium vs Netherlands
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Netherlands: 82.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Netherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Netherlands: 100% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Netherlands: 4.03% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Netherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Netherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Netherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Netherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025Netherlands: 95.9% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Netherlands: 41.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Netherlands: 20.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Netherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Netherlands: $27B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Netherlands: $1,582 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Netherlands: 4.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Netherlands: 41,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Netherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Netherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025