Definition: the indicator measures gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D), both public and private, as a percentage of GDP. These expenditures relate to work undertaken on a systematic basis to increase the stock of knowledge, and the use of this stock of knowledge for new applications. Data come from Eurostat.

Goal: the share of R&D expenditure must reach 3% of GDP as from 2020.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 9.5: "Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending".

The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development sets this objective: "Research and development budgets will reach at least 3% of GDP and will increase year by year" (Objective 49; Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).

Since this commitment sets a target of 3% for 2050, this goal is also considered for 2030.

International comparison: in comparison with the European average, the Belgian indicator as a percentage of GDP has always stood at a higher level. As from 2009, the growth rate of the indicator (both in euros and as a percentage of GDP) for Belgium was higher. Therefore, the gap in 2021 between the Belgian R&D expenditure and the European ones (EU27) is a bit more than 1.1 percentage point. When Member States are divided into three groups, Belgium is part of the group with the best performance in 2021 and performs better than the European average. In that year, Belgium ranked first with 3.4% and Romania last with 0.5%.

UN indicator: the selected indicator corresponds to indicator 9.5.1 - Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP.

Sources

• General

  • SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals: United Nations (2015), Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, document A/RES/70/1.

  • Indicators: United Nations (2017), Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, document A/RES/71/313.

  • UN Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

  • UN Sustainable Development Goal indicators website: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

• Specific

  • Belgian Official Gazette: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/welcome.pl; research on http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/doc/rech_f.htm (consulted on 24/09/2020).

  • European commission (2010), Europe 2020. A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52010DC2020&from=EN (consulted on 24/09/2020).

  • European Council (2002), Presidency conclusions European council meeting in Barcelona 14 and 15 march 2002, http://aei.pitt.edu/43345/1/Barcelona_2002_1.pdf (consulted on 24/09/2020).

  • Federal government (2011), Programme national de réforme 2011, p. 25, http://www.be2020.eu/publications/publication_det.php?lang=fr&KeyPub=461 (consulted on 24/09/2020).

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