diff --git a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataDictionary.h b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataDictionary.h
index 99f4e3bcc39..a49d79192c1 100644
--- a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataDictionary.h
+++ b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataDictionary.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #define itkMetaDataDictionary_h
 
 #include "itkMetaDataObjectBase.h"
+#include <algorithm> // For std::equal
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
@@ -81,6 +82,35 @@ class ITKCommon_EXPORT MetaDataDictionary
   // Destructor
   virtual ~MetaDataDictionary();
 
+  /** Returns (metaDataDictionary1 == metaDataDictionary2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator==(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    using KeyValuePair = MetaDataDictionaryMapType::value_type;
+
+    return (lhs.m_Dictionary == rhs.m_Dictionary) ||
+           ((lhs.m_Dictionary != nullptr) && (rhs.m_Dictionary != nullptr) &&
+            (lhs.m_Dictionary->size() == rhs.m_Dictionary->size()) &&
+            std::equal(lhs.m_Dictionary->cbegin(),
+                       lhs.m_Dictionary->cend(),
+                       rhs.m_Dictionary->cbegin(),
+                       [](const KeyValuePair & keyValuePair1, const KeyValuePair & keyValuePair2) {
+                         const auto & value1 = keyValuePair1.second;
+                         const auto & value2 = keyValuePair2.second;
+                         return (keyValuePair1.first == keyValuePair2.first) &&
+                                ((value1 == value2) ||
+                                 ((value1 != nullptr) && (value2 != nullptr) && (*value1 == *value2)));
+                       }));
+  }
+
+  /** Returns (metaDataDictionary1 != metaDataDictionary2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator!=(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    return !(lhs == rhs);
+  }
+
+
   /** Returns a vector of keys to the key/value entries in the
    * dictionary.  Iterate through the dictionary using these keys.
    */
diff --git a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObject.h b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObject.h
index b4fef18055d..dd20f1f1911 100644
--- a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObject.h
+++ b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObject.h
@@ -130,11 +130,33 @@ class ITK_TEMPLATE_EXPORT MetaDataObject : public MetaDataObjectBase
   void
   Print(std::ostream & os) const override;
 
+  /** Returns (metaDataObject1 == metaDataObject2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator==(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    return lhs.m_MetaDataObjectValue == rhs.m_MetaDataObjectValue;
+  }
+
+  /** Returns (metaDataObject1 != metaDataObject2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator!=(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    return !(lhs == rhs);
+  }
+
 protected:
   MetaDataObject() = default;
   ~MetaDataObject() override = default;
 
 private:
+  /** Internal helper function used to implement operator== for MetaDataObjectBase. */
+  bool
+  Equal(const MetaDataObjectBase & metaDataObjectBase) const override
+  {
+    const auto metaDataObject = dynamic_cast<const Self *>(&metaDataObjectBase);
+    return (metaDataObject != nullptr) && (*this == *metaDataObject);
+  }
+
   /**
    * A variable to store this derived type.
    * \author Hans J. Johnson
diff --git a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObjectBase.h b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObjectBase.h
index 6b5199f5cb9..b5484665d89 100644
--- a/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObjectBase.h
+++ b/Modules/Core/Common/include/itkMetaDataObjectBase.h
@@ -72,6 +72,21 @@ class ITKCommon_EXPORT MetaDataObjectBase : public LightObject
   virtual const std::type_info &
   GetMetaDataObjectTypeInfo() const;
 
+  /** Returns (metaDataBase1 == metaDataBase2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator==(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    return lhs.Equal(rhs);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns (metaDataBase1 != metaDataBase2). */
+  friend bool
+  operator!=(const Self & lhs, const Self & rhs)
+  {
+    return !(lhs == rhs);
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Defines the default behavior for printing out this element
    * \param os An output stream
@@ -82,6 +97,10 @@ class ITKCommon_EXPORT MetaDataObjectBase : public LightObject
 protected:
   MetaDataObjectBase();
   ~MetaDataObjectBase() override;
+
+private:
+  virtual bool
+  Equal(const MetaDataObjectBase &) const = 0;
 };
 } // namespace itk
 
diff --git a/Modules/Core/Common/test/itkMetaDataDictionaryGTest.cxx b/Modules/Core/Common/test/itkMetaDataDictionaryGTest.cxx
index 8adaeb0f455..558bb39f30b 100644
--- a/Modules/Core/Common/test/itkMetaDataDictionaryGTest.cxx
+++ b/Modules/Core/Common/test/itkMetaDataDictionaryGTest.cxx
@@ -252,3 +252,53 @@ TEST(MetaDataDictionary, CopyOnWrite)
     EXPECT_EQ(f, 1.0f);
   }
 }
+
+
+TEST(MetaDataDictionary, Equal)
+{
+  const auto expectEqual = [](const itk::MetaDataDictionary & object1, const itk::MetaDataDictionary & object2) {
+    // Test that equal objects can be used as arguments to GoogleTest EXPECT_EQ.
+    EXPECT_EQ(object1, object2);
+    EXPECT_EQ(object2, object1);
+
+    // Test symmetry, as well as consistency between equal and unequal.
+    EXPECT_TRUE(object1 == object2);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(object2 == object1);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(object1 != object2);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(object2 != object1);
+  };
+
+  const auto expectUnequal = [](const itk::MetaDataDictionary & object1, const itk::MetaDataDictionary & object2) {
+    // Test that unequal objects can be used as arguments to GoogleTest EXPECT_NE.
+    EXPECT_NE(object1, object2);
+    EXPECT_NE(object2, object1);
+
+    // Test symmetry, as well as consistency between equal and unequal.
+    EXPECT_TRUE(object1 != object2);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(object2 != object1);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(object1 == object2);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(object2 == object1);
+  };
+
+  const itk::MetaDataDictionary defaultMetaDataDictionary{};
+
+  expectEqual(defaultMetaDataDictionary, {});
+
+  const auto createMetaDataDictionary = [](const int value) {
+    itk::MetaDataDictionary metaDataDictionary;
+    itk::EncapsulateMetaData(metaDataDictionary, "key", value);
+    return metaDataDictionary;
+  };
+
+  const auto metaDataDictionary1 = createMetaDataDictionary(1);
+  const auto metaDataDictionary2 = createMetaDataDictionary(2);
+
+  expectEqual(metaDataDictionary1, metaDataDictionary1);
+  expectEqual(metaDataDictionary2, metaDataDictionary2);
+  expectEqual(metaDataDictionary1, createMetaDataDictionary(1));
+  expectEqual(metaDataDictionary2, createMetaDataDictionary(2));
+
+  expectUnequal(metaDataDictionary1, metaDataDictionary2);
+  expectUnequal(metaDataDictionary1, defaultMetaDataDictionary);
+  expectUnequal(metaDataDictionary2, defaultMetaDataDictionary);
+}