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 21 countries was 1.06 percent. The highest value was in Israel: 6.35 percent and the lowest value was in Burma (Myanmar): 0.02 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 |
| South Korea | 4.94 | 2 | 1996 - 2023 |
| Japan | 3.44 | 3 | 1996 - 2023 |
| China | 2.58 | 4 | 1996 - 2023 |
| Hong Kong | 1.11 | 5 | 1998 - 2024 |
| Thailand | 0.94 | 6 | 1996 - 2023 |
| Saudi Arabia | 0.49 | 7 | 2003 - 2024 |
| Vietnam | 0.41 | 8 | 2002 - 2023 |
| Oman | 0.38 | 9 | 2011 - 2024 |
| Macao | 0.27 | 10 | 2001 - 2024 |
| Georgia | 0.25 | 11 | 1996 - 2024 |
| Armenia | 0.18 | 12 | 1997 - 2024 |
| Azerbaijan | 0.18 | 13 | 1996 - 2024 |
| Pakistan | 0.16 | 14 | 1997 - 2023 |
| Kazakhstan | 0.14 | 15 | 1997 - 2024 |
| Bhutan | 0.11 | 16 | 2023 - 2024 |
| Uzbekistan | 0.11 | 17 | 2000 - 2024 |
| Kuwait | 0.1 | 18 | 1997 - 2024 |
| Turkmenistan | 0.09 | 19 | 2015 - 2023 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0.05 | 20 | 1997 - 2024 |
| Burma | 0.02 | 21 | 1997 - 2023 |
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.
Selected articles from our guide:
Are trade deficits bad for the economy?
Sources of economic growth
Currency values and investment returns
How to write an economics research paper
All articles
6.35
4.94
3.44
2.58
1.11
0.94
0.49
0.41
0.38
0.27
0.25
0.18
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.11
0.11
0.10
0.09
0.05
0.02
0
1.6
3.2
4.8
6.35
Research and development expenditure around the world Research and development expenditure in Europe Research and development expenditure in Africa Research and development expenditure in North America Research and development expenditure in South America Research and development expenditure in Australia/Oceania Research and development expenditure in the European union Research and development expenditure in Sub Sahara Africa Research and development expenditure in MENA Research and development expenditure in South East Asia Research and development expenditure in Latin America