The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013, has become a major driver of global economic and academic discourse, generating a rapidly expanding body of interdisciplinary research. However, systematic cross-database analyses that capture the knowledge structure and evolution of BRI related economic development research remain limited. To address this gap, this study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using data from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, covering publications up to 2025. Bibliometric tools were applied to examine publication trends, collaboration patterns, and thematic structures. The results reveal a three-stage evolutionary trajectory: an initial exploratory phase, a rapid expansion phase focused on infrastructure and trade, and a maturation phase characterized by increasing emphasis on sustainability, green development, and financial governance. China dominates the field in terms of output, citation impact, and international collaboration, while keyword analysis indicates a clear thematic shift toward sustainability and carbon-related issues. These findings provide a systematic overview of the research landscape and offer insights into emerging directions in BRI and economic development studies.