Research and development expenditure - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Research and development expenditure, percent of GDP, 2021:

The average for 2021 based on 78 countries was 1.25 percent. The highest value was in Israel: 5.56 percent and the lowest value was in Iraq: 0.04 percent. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2022. 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, 2021 Global rank Available data
Israel 5.56 1 1996 - 2021
South Korea 4.93 2 1996 - 2021
USA 3.46 3 1996 - 2021
Belgium 3.43 4 1996 - 2021
Sweden 3.42 5 1997 - 2021
Switzerland 3.36 6 1996 - 2021
Japan 3.3 7 1996 - 2021
Austria 3.26 8 1996 - 2021
Germany 3.14 9 1996 - 2021
Finland 2.99 10 1996 - 2021
UK 2.91 11 1996 - 2021
Denmark 2.81 12 1996 - 2021
Iceland 2.81 13 1997 - 2021
China 2.43 14 1996 - 2021
Netherlands 2.31 15 1996 - 2021
France 2.22 16 1996 - 2021
Slovenia 2.13 17 1996 - 2021
Czechia 2 18 1996 - 2021
Norway 1.94 19 1997 - 2021
Estonia 1.75 20 1998 - 2021
Canada 1.7 21 1996 - 2022
Portugal 1.68 22 1996 - 2022
Hungary 1.64 23 1996 - 2021
UA Emirates 1.5 24 2011 - 2021
Greece 1.46 25 1997 - 2021
Italy 1.45 26 1996 - 2021
New Zealand 1.45 27 1997 - 2021
Poland 1.44 28 1996 - 2021
Spain 1.43 29 1996 - 2021
Turkey 1.4 30 1996 - 2021
Croatia 1.24 31 1999 - 2021
Thailand 1.21 32 1996 - 2021
Ireland 1.13 33 1996 - 2021
Lithuania 1.11 34 1996 - 2021
Luxembourg 1.04 35 2000 - 2021
Serbia 0.99 36 1997 - 2022
Hong Kong 0.97 37 1998 - 2022
Russia 0.96 38 1996 - 2022
Slovakia 0.92 39 1996 - 2021
Egypt 0.91 40 1996 - 2022
Cyprus 0.83 41 1998 - 2021
Bulgaria 0.77 42 1996 - 2021
Latvia 0.74 43 1996 - 2021
Qatar 0.68 44 2012 - 2021
Malta 0.67 45 2002 - 2021
Argentina 0.52 46 1996 - 2021
Romania 0.47 47 1996 - 2021
Belarus 0.46 48 1996 - 2022
Saudi Arabia 0.45 49 2003 - 2022
Vietnam 0.43 50 2002 - 2021
Uruguay 0.42 51 1996 - 2021
Macao 0.38 52 2001 - 2022
North Macedonia 0.38 53 1997 - 2022
Ukraine 0.38 54 1997 - 2022
Mauritius 0.37 55 1997 - 2022
Oman 0.29 56 2011 - 2022
Costa Rica 0.28 57 1996 - 2021
Mexico 0.28 58 1996 - 2022
Burkina Faso 0.25 59 1996 - 2021
Georgia 0.25 60 1996 - 2022
Moldova 0.23 61 1996 - 2022
Armenia 0.21 62 1997 - 2022
Azerbaijan 0.21 63 1996 - 2022
Bosnia & Herz. 0.19 64 2003 - 2022
Panama 0.18 65 1996 - 2022
Mali 0.17 66 2007 - 2021
El Salvador 0.16 67 1998 - 2021
Pakistan 0.16 68 1997 - 2021
Burma 0.15 69 1997 - 2022
Paraguay 0.14 70 2001 - 2021
Peru 0.14 71 1997 - 2022
Kazakhstan 0.13 72 1997 - 2022
Uzbekistan 0.13 73 2000 - 2022
Mongolia 0.1 74 1997 - 2022
Kyrgyzstan 0.08 75 1997 - 2022
Guatemala 0.06 76 2005 - 2021
Tr.&Tobago 0.05 77 1996 - 2021
Iraq 0.04 78 2007 - 2021



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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All articles

1. Israel
2. South Korea
3. USA
4. Belgium
5. Sweden
6. Switzerland
7. Japan
8. Austria
9. Germany
10. Finland
11. UK
12. Denmark
13. Iceland
14. China
15. Netherlands
16. France
17. Slovenia
18. Czechia
19. Norway
20. Estonia
21. Canada
22. Portugal
23. Hungary
24. UA Emirates
25. Greece
26. Italy
27. New Zealand
28. Poland
29. Spain
30. Turkey
31. Croatia
32. Thailand
33. Ireland
34. Lithuania
35. Luxembourg
36. Serbia
37. Hong Kong
38. Russia
39. Slovakia
40. Egypt
41. Cyprus
42. Bulgaria
43. Latvia
44. Qatar
45. Malta
46. Argentina
47. Romania
48. Belarus
49. Saudi Arabia
50. Vietnam
51. Uruguay
52. Macao
53. North Macedonia
54. Ukraine
55. Mauritius
56. Oman
57. Costa Rica
58. Mexico
59. Burkina Faso
60. Georgia
61. Moldova
62. Armenia
63. Azerbaijan
64. Bosnia & Herz.
65. Panama
66. Mali
67. El Salvador
68. Pakistan
69. Burma
70. Paraguay
71. Peru
72. Kazakhstan
73. Uzbekistan
74. Mongolia
75. Kyrgyzstan
76. Guatemala
77. Tr.&Tobago
78. Iraq
5.56
4.93
3.46
3.43
3.42
3.36
3.30
3.26
3.14
2.99
2.91
2.81
2.81
2.43
2.31
2.22
2.13
2.00
1.94
1.75
1.70
1.68
1.64
1.50
1.46
1.45
1.45
1.44
1.43
1.40
1.24
1.21
1.13
1.11
1.04
0.99
0.97
0.96
0.92
0.91
0.83
0.77
0.74
0.68
0.67
0.52
0.47
0.46
0.45
0.43
0.42
0.38
0.38
0.38
0.37
0.29
0.28
0.28
0.25
0.25
0.23
0.21
0.21
0.19
0.18
0.17
0.16
0.16
0.15
0.14
0.14
0.13
0.13
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.05
0.04
0
1.4
2.8
4.2
5.56


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