Belgium vs Netherlands
Belgium vs Netherlands: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $13.6B in Belgium and $27B in Netherlands, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by $13.4B, or 1.99 times that in Belgium.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Netherlands has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1949.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 30 and Netherlands ranked 18 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Belgium | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13.6B | $27B |
| 2024 | $8.57B | $23.6B |
| 2023 | $7.88B | $17.2B |
| 2022 | $7.61B | $15.1B |
| 2021 | $6.72B | $15.6B |
| 2020 | $6.08B | $15.1B |
| 2019 | $5.59B | $14.2B |
| 2018 | $5.47B | $12.8B |
| 2017 | $5.35B | $11.8B |
| 2016 | $5.35B | $11.6B |
| 2015 | $5.37B | $11B |
| 2014 | $5.57B | $11.1B |
| 2013 | $5.67B | $11B |
| 2012 | $5.81B | $11.9B |
| 2011 | $5.88B | $12.6B |
| 2010 | $6.09B | $13.1B |
| 2009 | $6.36B | $13.6B |
| 2008 | $6.75B | $13.3B |
| 2007 | $6.2B | $13.6B |
| 2006 | $5.74B | $13.4B |
| 2005 | $5.79B | $12.8B |
| 2004 | $6.01B | $12.8B |
| 2003 | $6.13B | $12.7B |
| 2002 | $6.07B | $12.5B |
| 2001 | $6.26B | $12.5B |
| 2000 | $6.55B | $12.2B |
| 1999 | $6.55B | $12.7B |
| 1998 | $6.46B | $12.1B |
| 1997 | $6.46B | $12.1B |
| 1996 | $6.55B | $12.3B |
| 1995 | $6.67B | $12.2B |
| 1994 | $6.81B | $12.5B |
| 1993 | $6.85B | $13B |
| 1992 | $7.21B | $14.1B |
| 1991 | $8.78B | $14.2B |
| 1990 | $8.91B | $14.6B |
| 1989 | $9.08B | $15.1B |
| 1988 | $9.22B | $14.9B |
| 1987 | $9.63B | $15B |
| 1986 | $9.57B | $14.7B |
| 1985 | $9.19B | $14.5B |
| 1984 | $9.3B | $14.7B |
| 1983 | $9.71B | $14.4B |
| 1982 | $10.1B | $15.7B |
| 1981 | $10.5B | $14.6B |
| 1980 | $10.4B | $14.4B |
| 1979 | $10.2B | $14.8B |
| 1978 | $9.95B | $14B |
| 1977 | $9.33B | $14.5B |
| 1976 | $9.09B | $13B |
| 1975 | $8.64B | $13.2B |
| 1974 | $7.93B | $12.5B |
| 1973 | $7.82B | $12B |
| 1972 | $7.48B | $11.8B |
| 1971 | $7.1B | $11.4B |
| 1970 | $6.81B | $10.9B |
| 1969 | $6.39B | $10.7B |
| 1968 | $6.35B | $10.2B |
| 1967 | $6.13B | $10.3B |
| 1966 | $5.85B | $9.32B |
| 1965 | $5.41B | $9.6B |
| 1964 | $5.59B | $9.96B |
| 1963 | $5.21B | $9.13B |
| 1962 | $5.06B | $8.94B |
| 1961 | $4.75B | $8.42B |
| 1960 | $4.7B | $7.32B |
| 1959 | $4.6B | $6.52B |
| 1958 | $4.56B | $7.26B |
| 1957 | $4.63B | $8.26B |
| 1956 | $4.44B | $8.81B |
| 1955 | $4.57B | $8.22B |
| 1954 | $5.51B | $7.81B |
| 1953 | $5.34B | $6.82B |
| 1952 | $5.37B | $6.43B |
| 1951 | $3.63B | $5.44B |
| 1950 | $2.46B | $5.17B |
| 1949 | $2.43B | $4.26B |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Netherlands: 2.2% of GDP 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