R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — all countries

R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — Western Europe

R&D expenditure (% of GDP) in Western Europe in 2023 — 2.79%. Since 1996, the indicator has risen by 0.68 pp.

2023 2.79% +0.09 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 2.79%2023
Period minimum 2.09%1998

Trend over time

1996–2023 · % of GDP

R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — Western Europe, 1996–202322.22.42.62.819961999200220052008201120142017202020231996: 2.11%1997: 2.1%1998: 2.09%1999: 2.16%2000: 2.19%2001: 2.21%2002: 2.22%2003: 2.22%2004: 2.21%2005: 2.18%2006: 2.19%2007: 2.17%2008: 2.28%2009: 2.36%2010: 2.36%2011: 2.42%2012: 2.52%2013: 2.5%2014: 2.55%2015: 2.6%2016: 2.57%2017: 2.66%2018: 2.66%2019: 2.75%2020: 2.75%2021: 2.77%2022: 2.71%2023: 2.79%
Change over the period: +0.68 pp Annual average: 0.03 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Europe

Western Europe 2.79%
World 2.6%
R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — Western Europe, by year Western Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 2.79 +0.09 pp
2022 2.71 −0.06 pp
2021 2.77 +0.01 pp
2020 2.75 +0.01 pp
2019 2.75 +0.08 pp
2018 2.66 +0 pp
2017 2.66 +0.09 pp
2016 2.57 −0.03 pp
2015 2.6 +0.05 pp
2014 2.55 +0.04 pp
2013 2.5 −0.02 pp
2012 2.52 +0.1 pp
2011 2.42 +0.06 pp
2010 2.36 −0 pp
2009 2.36 +0.08 pp
2008 2.28 +0.11 pp
2007 2.17 −0.02 pp
2006 2.19 +0.01 pp
2005 2.18 −0.04 pp
2004 2.21 −0 pp
2003 2.22 −0 pp
2002 2.22 +0.02 pp
2001 2.21 +0.02 pp
2000 2.19 +0.02 pp
1999 2.16 +0.08 pp
1998 2.09 −0.01 pp
1997 2.1 −0.01 pp
1996 2.11

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%.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.