What it helps answer
Reading the signal
Indicates the scale of resources devoted to systematic knowledge creation and innovation across business, government and higher education.
Indicator guide · GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS
Research and development spending
by country
Domestic research and development expenditure relative to GDP. The table keeps each country's reported year visible so stale and current observations are not treated as equivalent.
Before comparing
Important limits
Spending is an input, not a guaranteed innovation outcome. Sector mix, purchasing costs, reporting coverage and commercialisation capacity all matter.
Measurement
% of GDP
World Bank indicator GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS. Values can be revised as national statistical agencies and international datasets update.
Source definition
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
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.
Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources/bulk, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-03-26, date published: 2025-02
60-market reference table
Latest reported values
Sorted by value, not by a common year. Check the year column before drawing a direct comparison.
| Position | Country | Region | Value | Year | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel | Middle East | 6.35% | 2023 | Compare |
| 2 | South Korea | East Asia | 4.94% | 2023 | Compare |
| 3 | Sweden | Europe | 3.60% | 2023 | Compare |
| 4 | United States | North America | 3.45% | 2023 | Compare |
| 5 | Japan | East Asia | 3.44% | 2023 | Compare |
| 6 | Belgium | Europe | 3.27% | 2023 | Compare |
| 7 | Austria | Europe | 3.26% | 2023 | Compare |
| 8 | Switzerland | Europe | 3.22% | 2023 | Compare |
| 9 | Germany | Europe | 3.15% | 2023 | Compare |
| 10 | Finland | Europe | 3.09% | 2023 | Compare |
| 11 | Denmark | Europe | 3.05% | 2023 | Compare |
| 12 | United Kingdom | Europe | 2.68% | 2023 | Compare |
| 13 | China | East Asia | 2.58% | 2023 | Compare |
| 14 | Netherlands | Europe | 2.27% | 2023 | Compare |
| 15 | France | Europe | 2.18% | 2023 | Compare |
| 16 | Australia | Oceania | 1.86% | 2021 | Compare |
| 17 | Norway | Europe | 1.85% | 2023 | Compare |
| 18 | Czechia | Europe | 1.83% | 2023 | Compare |
| 19 | Singapore | Southeast Asia | 1.81% | 2022 | Compare |
| 20 | Canada | North America | 1.79% | 2024 | Compare |
| 21 | Portugal | Europe | 1.69% | 2023 | Compare |
| 22 | Ireland | Europe | 1.59% | 2023 | Compare |
| 23 | Poland | Europe | 1.56% | 2023 | Compare |
| 24 | New Zealand | Oceania | 1.55% | 2023 | Compare |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | Middle East | 1.49% | 2021 | Compare |
| 26 | Greece | Europe | 1.49% | 2023 | Compare |
| 27 | Spain | Europe | 1.49% | 2023 | Compare |
| 28 | Turkiye | Europe & Central Asia | 1.42% | 2023 | Compare |
| 29 | Italy | Europe | 1.38% | 2023 | Compare |
| 30 | Hungary | Europe | 1.38% | 2023 | Compare |
| 31 | Brazil | Latin America | 1.19% | 2023 | Compare |
| 32 | Egypt | Middle East & North Africa | 1.02% | 2024 | Compare |
| 33 | Malaysia | Southeast Asia | 1.01% | 2022 | Compare |
| 34 | Thailand | Southeast Asia | 0.94% | 2023 | Compare |
| 35 | Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.81% | 2024 | Compare |
| 36 | Uruguay | Latin America | 0.70% | 2023 | Compare |
| 37 | Qatar | Middle East | 0.68% | 2021 | Compare |
| 38 | India | South Asia | 0.65% | 2020 | Compare |
| 39 | Saudi Arabia | Middle East | 0.64% | 2024 | Compare |
| 40 | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.61% | 2022 | Compare |
| 41 | Argentina | Latin America | 0.60% | 2023 | Compare |
| 42 | Romania | Europe | 0.52% | 2023 | Compare |
| 43 | Algeria | Middle East & North Africa | 0.44% | 2024 | Compare |
| 44 | Ecuador | Latin America | 0.44% | 2014 | Compare |
| 45 | Vietnam | Southeast Asia | 0.41% | 2023 | Compare |
| 46 | Chile | Latin America | 0.39% | 2022 | Compare |
| 47 | Ukraine | Europe | 0.37% | 2024 | Compare |
| 48 | Costa Rica | Latin America | 0.34% | 2023 | Compare |
| 49 | Colombia | Latin America | 0.29% | 2020 | Compare |
| 50 | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.28% | 2019 | Compare |
| 51 | Indonesia | Southeast Asia | 0.28% | 2020 | Compare |
| 52 | Philippines | Southeast Asia | 0.28% | 2020 | Compare |
| 53 | Ethiopia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.27% | 2017 | Compare |
| 54 | Mexico | Latin America | 0.25% | 2024 | Compare |
| 55 | Peru | Latin America | 0.18% | 2023 | Compare |
| 56 | Pakistan | South Asia | 0.16% | 2023 | Compare |
| 57 | Kuwait | Middle East | 0.09% | 2024 | Compare |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Retrieved 2026-08-26. Open the source indicator · Download 15-year CSV.
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