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R&D expenditure (% of GDP)

Gross domestic expenditure on research and development as a percentage of GDP.

Unit: % of GDP Period: 1996–2024 Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Source: UIS · About the indicator
Average: 0.86% Countries: 156

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 1999 to 2024.

R&D expenditure (% of GDP), 1999–2024

Top-20 · % of GDP

R&D expenditure (% of GDP), 1999–202402468IsraelIsrael: 6.35%6.35LiechtensteinLiechtenstein: 6.01%6.01South KoreaSouth Korea: 4.94%4.94SwedenSweden: 3.6%3.6United StatesUnited States: 3.45%3.45JapanJapan: 3.44%3.44BelgiumBelgium: 3.27%3.27AustriaAustria: 3.26%3.26SwitzerlandSwitzerland: 3.22%3.22GermanyGermany: 3.15%3.15FinlandFinland: 3.09%3.09DenmarkDenmark: 3.05%3.05United KingdomUnited Kingdom: 2.68%2.68IcelandIceland: 2.64%2.64ChinaChina: 2.58%2.58NetherlandsNetherlands: 2.27%2.27FranceFrance: 2.18%2.18SloveniaSlovenia: 2.13%2.13AustraliaAustralia: 1.86%1.86NorwayNorway: 1.85%1.85
R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — 1999–2024 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 IL Israel 6.35 2023 1
2 LI Liechtenstein 6.01 2023 2
3 KR South Korea 4.94 2023 3
4 SE Sweden 3.6 2023 4
5 US United States 3.45 2023 5
6 JP Japan 3.44 2023 6
7 BE Belgium 3.27 2023 7
8 AT Austria 3.26 2023 8
9 CH Switzerland 3.22 2023 9
10 DE Germany 3.15 2023 10
11 FI Finland 3.09 2023 11
12 DK Denmark 3.05 2023 12
13 GB United Kingdom 2.68 2023 13
14 IS Iceland 2.64 2023 14
15 CN China 2.58 2023 15
16 NL Netherlands 2.27 2023 16
17 FR France 2.18 2023 17
18 SI Slovenia 2.13 2023 18
19 AU Australia 1.86 2021 19
20 NO Norway 1.85 2023 20
21 EE Estonia 1.84 2023 21
22 CZ Czechia 1.83 2023 22
23 SG Singapore 1.81 2022 23
24 CA Canada 1.79 2024 24
25 PT Portugal 1.69 2023 25
26 IE Ireland 1.59 2023 26
27 PL Poland 1.56 2023 27
28 NZ New Zealand 1.55 2023 28
29 AE United Arab Emirates 1.49 2021 29
30 GR Greece 1.49 2023 30
31 ES Spain 1.49 2023 31
32 TR Türkiye 1.42 2023 32
33 HR Croatia 1.39 2023 33
34 IT Italy 1.38 2023 34
35 HU Hungary 1.38 2023 35
36 BR Brazil 1.19 2023 36
37 HK Hong Kong 1.13 2024 37
38 LU Luxembourg 1.07 2023 38
39 LT Lithuania 1.05 2023 39
40 SK Slovakia 1.03 2023 40
41 EG Egypt 1.02 2024 41
42 MY Malaysia 1.01 2022 42
43 RS Serbia 0.94 2024 43
44 RU Russia 0.94 2024 44
45 TH Thailand 0.94 2023 45
46 FO Faroe Islands 0.85 2003 46
47 LV Latvia 0.82 2023 47
48 KE Kenya 0.81 2024 48
49 BG Bulgaria 0.79 2023 49
50 RW Rwanda 0.78 2023 50
51 TN Tunisia 0.75 2019 51
52 IR Iran 0.73 2021 52
53 UY Uruguay 0.7 2023 53
54 JO Jordan 0.7 2016 54
55 CY Cyprus 0.68 2023 55
56 QA Qatar 0.68 2021 56
57 MA Morocco 0.66 2010 57
58 MT Malta 0.65 2023 58
59 NA Namibia 0.65 2022 59
60 GL Greenland 0.65 2004 60
61 IN India 0.65 2020 61
62 SA Saudi Arabia 0.64 2024 62
63 ZA South Africa 0.61 2022 63
64 AR Argentina 0.6 2023 64
65 BY Belarus 0.59 2024 65
66 GA Gabon 0.58 2009 66
67 SN Senegal 0.58 2015 67
68 BW Botswana 0.56 2013 68
69 RO Romania 0.52 2023 69
70 TZ Tanzania 0.51 2013 70
71 PS Palestine 0.45 2013 71
72 DZ Algeria 0.44 2024 72
73 CU Cuba 0.44 2024 73
74 EC Ecuador 0.44 2014 73
75 UG Uganda 0.44 2023 75
76 PR Puerto Rico 0.43 2015 76
77 VN Vietnam 0.41 2023 77
78 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.41 2015 78
79 AS American Samoa 0.4 2006 79
80 CL Chile 0.39 2022 80
81 OM Oman 0.39 2024 81
82 CG Republic of the Congo 0.38 2022 82
83 GH Ghana 0.38 2010 83
84 MK North Macedonia 0.37 2024 84
85 UA Ukraine 0.37 2024 85
86 ME Montenegro 0.36 2019 86
87 CR Costa Rica 0.34 2023 87
88 VE Venezuela 0.34 2014 88
89 MO Macao 0.31 2024 89
90 MZ Mozambique 0.31 2015 90
91 NP Nepal 0.3 2010 91
92 CO Colombia 0.29 2020 92
93 AM Armenia 0.29 2024 93
94 NG Nigeria 0.28 2019 94
95 ID Indonesia 0.28 2020 95
96 ZM Zambia 0.28 2008 96
97 SZ Eswatini 0.28 2015 97
98 BN Brunei Darussalam 0.28 2018 98
99 PH Philippines 0.28 2020 99
100 ET Ethiopia 0.27 2017 100
101 LC Saint Lucia 0.27 1999 101
102 GE Georgia 0.26 2024 102
103 MU Mauritius 0.26 2024 103
104 GU Guam 0.26 2005 104
105 MX Mexico 0.25 2024 105
106 TD Chad 0.23 2016 106
107 BM Bermuda 0.23 2020 107
108 SD Sudan 0.23 2005 108
109 TG Togo 0.22 2024 109
110 MD Moldova 0.22 2024 110
111 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.21 2024 111
112 BI Burundi 0.21 2018 112
113 AZ Azerbaijan 0.21 2024 113
114 SC Seychelles 0.2 2016 114
115 AL Albania 0.2 2022 115
116 PA Panama 0.2 2024 116
117 BH Bahrain 0.19 2024 117
118 MW Malawi 0.18 2019 118
119 PE Peru 0.18 2023 119
120 PK Pakistan 0.16 2023 120
121 KZ Kazakhstan 0.16 2024 121
122 AD Andorra 0.16 2022 122
123 ML Mali 0.15 2023 123
124 PY Paraguay 0.14 2023 124
125 VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.11 2002 125
126 NI Nicaragua 0.11 2015 126
127 LK Sri Lanka 0.11 2022 127
128 BF Burkina Faso 0.1 2024 128
129 UZ Uzbekistan 0.1 2024 129
130 SV El Salvador 0.1 2023 130
131 BT Bhutan 0.1 2024 131
132 LS Lesotho 0.09 2023 132
133 TM Turkmenistan 0.09 2023 133
134 TJ Tajikistan 0.09 2020 134
135 KW Kuwait 0.09 2024 135
136 KH Cambodia 0.09 2015 136
137 MN Mongolia 0.08 2022 137
138 CI Côte d'Ivoire 0.07 2016 138
139 GM Gambia 0.07 2018 139
140 CV Cabo Verde 0.07 2011 140
141 BO Bolivia 0.06 2021 141
142 JM Jamaica 0.06 2002 142
143 HN Honduras 0.06 2019 143
144 KG Kyrgyzstan 0.05 2024 144
145 TT Trinidad and Tobago 0.05 2022 145
146 SY Syria 0.04 2022 146
147 IQ Iraq 0.04 2021 147
148 MC Monaco 0.04 2005 148
149 LA Laos 0.04 2002 149
150 AO Angola 0.03 2016 150
151 PG Papua New Guinea 0.03 2016 151
152 VI United States Virgin Islands 0.03 2007 152
153 MM Myanmar 0.02 2023 153
154 MG Madagascar 0.01 2017 154
155 MR Mauritania 0.01 2018 155
156 GT Guatemala 0.01 2023 156
Nothing found. Check the spelling of the name.
Maximum 6.35%
Median 0.4%
Minimum 0.01%
World 2.6%

About the indicator

Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) as a percentage of GDP — all current and capital spending by business, government, universities and nonprofit organizations on basic and applied research. The threshold of 3% of GDP is the target adopted in the EU; the leaders (Israel, South Korea) exceed 4.5%.

Updates
twice a year
Unit of measurement
% of GDP
Observation period
1996–2024
License
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Dataset
UIS Data Centre

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