Research and development expenditure - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Research and development expenditure, percent of GDP, 2023:

The average for 2023 based on 83 countries was 1.28 percent. The highest value was in Israel: 6.35 percent and the lowest value was in Guatemala: 0.01 percent. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: percent; Source: The United Nations
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Research and development expenditure, 2023 Global rank Available data
Israel 6.35 1 1996 - 2023
Liechtenstein 6.01 2 2019 - 2023
South Korea 4.94 3 1996 - 2023
Sweden 3.6 4 1997 - 2023
USA 3.45 5 1996 - 2023
Japan 3.44 6 1996 - 2023
Belgium 3.27 7 1996 - 2023
Austria 3.26 8 1996 - 2023
Switzerland 3.22 9 1996 - 2023
Germany 3.15 10 1996 - 2023
Finland 3.09 11 1996 - 2023
Denmark 3.05 12 1996 - 2023
UK 2.68 13 1996 - 2023
Iceland 2.64 14 1997 - 2023
China 2.58 15 1996 - 2023
Netherlands 2.27 16 1996 - 2023
France 2.18 17 1996 - 2023
Slovenia 2.13 18 1996 - 2023
Norway 1.85 19 1997 - 2023
Estonia 1.84 20 1998 - 2023
Czechia 1.83 21 1996 - 2023
Canada 1.81 22 1996 - 2024
Portugal 1.69 23 1996 - 2023
Ireland 1.59 24 1996 - 2023
Poland 1.56 25 1996 - 2023
New Zealand 1.55 26 1997 - 2023
Greece 1.49 27 1997 - 2023
Spain 1.49 28 1996 - 2023
Turkey 1.42 29 1996 - 2023
Croatia 1.39 30 1999 - 2023
Hungary 1.38 31 1996 - 2023
Italy 1.38 32 1996 - 2023
Brazil 1.19 33 2000 - 2023
Hong Kong 1.11 34 1998 - 2024
Luxembourg 1.07 35 2000 - 2023
Lithuania 1.05 36 1996 - 2023
Egypt 1.03 37 1996 - 2024
Slovakia 1.03 38 1996 - 2023
Russia 0.94 39 1996 - 2024
Thailand 0.94 40 1996 - 2023
Serbia 0.88 41 1997 - 2024
Latvia 0.82 42 1996 - 2023
Kenya 0.8 43 2007 - 2024
Bulgaria 0.79 44 1996 - 2023
Rwanda 0.78 45 2016 - 2023
Uruguay 0.7 46 1996 - 2023
Cyprus 0.68 47 1998 - 2023
Malta 0.65 48 2002 - 2023
Argentina 0.6 49 1996 - 2023
Belarus 0.57 50 1996 - 2024
Romania 0.52 51 1996 - 2023
Saudi Arabia 0.49 52 2003 - 2024
Uganda 0.44 53 2002 - 2023
Vietnam 0.41 54 2002 - 2023
Algeria 0.38 55 2001 - 2024
Oman 0.38 56 2011 - 2024
North Macedonia 0.37 57 1997 - 2024
Costa Rica 0.34 58 1996 - 2023
Ukraine 0.32 59 1997 - 2024
Macao 0.27 60 2001 - 2024
Mexico 0.27 61 1996 - 2024
Georgia 0.25 62 1996 - 2024
Mauritius 0.24 63 1997 - 2024
Moldova 0.22 64 1996 - 2024
Bosnia & Herz. 0.19 65 2003 - 2024
Armenia 0.18 66 1997 - 2024
Azerbaijan 0.18 67 1996 - 2024
Peru 0.18 68 1997 - 2023
Pakistan 0.16 69 1997 - 2023
Panama 0.16 70 1996 - 2024
Mali 0.15 71 2007 - 2023
Kazakhstan 0.14 72 1997 - 2024
Paraguay 0.14 73 2001 - 2023
Bhutan 0.11 74 2023 - 2024
Uzbekistan 0.11 75 2000 - 2024
Burkina Faso 0.1 76 1996 - 2024
El Salvador 0.1 77 1998 - 2023
Kuwait 0.1 78 1997 - 2024
Lesotho 0.09 79 2002 - 2023
Turkmenistan 0.09 80 2015 - 2023
Kyrgyzstan 0.05 81 1997 - 2024
Burma 0.02 82 1997 - 2023
Guatemala 0.01 83 2005 - 2023


New - World map: Research and development expenditure




Definition: Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.

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1. Israel
2. Liechtenstein
3. South Korea
4. Sweden
5. USA
6. Japan
7. Belgium
8. Austria
9. Switzerland
10. Germany
11. Finland
12. Denmark
13. UK
14. Iceland
15. China
16. Netherlands
17. France
18. Slovenia
19. Norway
20. Estonia
21. Czechia
22. Canada
23. Portugal
24. Ireland
25. Poland
26. New Zealand
27. Greece
28. Spain
29. Turkey
30. Croatia
31. Hungary
32. Italy
33. Brazil
34. Hong Kong
35. Luxembourg
36. Lithuania
37. Egypt
38. Slovakia
39. Russia
40. Thailand
41. Serbia
42. Latvia
43. Kenya
44. Bulgaria
45. Rwanda
46. Uruguay
47. Cyprus
48. Malta
49. Argentina
50. Belarus
51. Romania
52. Saudi Arabia
53. Uganda
54. Vietnam
55. Algeria
56. Oman
57. North Macedonia
58. Costa Rica
59. Ukraine
60. Macao
61. Mexico
62. Georgia
63. Mauritius
64. Moldova
65. Bosnia & Herz.
66. Armenia
67. Azerbaijan
68. Peru
69. Pakistan
70. Panama
71. Mali
72. Kazakhstan
73. Paraguay
74. Bhutan
75. Uzbekistan
76. Burkina Faso
77. El Salvador
78. Kuwait
79. Lesotho
80. Turkmenistan
81. Kyrgyzstan
82. Burma
83. Guatemala
6.35
6.01
4.94
3.60
3.45
3.44
3.27
3.26
3.22
3.15
3.09
3.05
2.68
2.64
2.58
2.27
2.18
2.13
1.85
1.84
1.83
1.81
1.69
1.59
1.56
1.55
1.49
1.49
1.42
1.39
1.38
1.38
1.19
1.11
1.07
1.05
1.03
1.03
0.94
0.94
0.88
0.82
0.80
0.79
0.78
0.70
0.68
0.65
0.60
0.57
0.52
0.49
0.44
0.41
0.38
0.38
0.37
0.34
0.32
0.27
0.27
0.25
0.24
0.22
0.19
0.18
0.18
0.18
0.16
0.16
0.15
0.14
0.14
0.11
0.11
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.09
0.09
0.05
0.02
0.01
0
1.6
3.2
4.8
6.35


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