The United States is the leading country worldwide in terms of spending on research and development (R&D), with R&D expenditure exceeding *** billion purchasing power parity (PPP) U.S. dollars. China is invested about *** billion U.S. dollars into R&D. Health and technology Overall, health and technology dominate R&D spending globally. In 2022, health constituted nearly ** percent of all R&D spending, while hardware producers accounted for over ***percent and software producers accounted for over ***percent. Tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet contribute massively to tech spending, while spending continues to grow in areas such as medical technology and pharmaceuticals. Other sources of R&D spending Other sources of R&D spending include the automotive industry, chemicals, and manufacturing. Notably, within the automotive industry, the EU leads in spending, contributing nearly ** billion euros to the *** billion euros spent on automotive R&D globally. By company, Volkswagen spent the most at **** billion U.S. dollars, while in the United States, Ford spent the most on R&D at *** billion U.S. dollars.

The average for 2021 based on 24 countries was 1.02 percent. The highest value was in Israel: 5.78 percent and the lowest value was in Iraq: 0.04 percent. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Includes the expenditures for R&D performed within the various sectors of performance (business, government, higher education, private non profit), regardless of the source of funds. Expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in United States was reported at 3.5862 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Annual estimates of research and development performed in the UK and funding for R&D, received by businesses, higher education, government, UK Research and Innovation, and private non-profit organisations.

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in France was reported at 2.2331 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. France - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Percentage of total research and development (R&D) expenditure by performing sector. This table is included in Section D: Postsecondary education: Research and development of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP). PCEIP draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, education finance and labour market outcomes. The program presents indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, as well as selected international comparisons and comparisons over time. PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.

In the fiscal year of 2023/24, Lenovo had a research and development expenditure of **** billion U.S. dollars. After reducing its R&D investments in 2019/20, until 22/23 allocation of resources towards new products and technology increased, only to drop in 2023/24.

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in Thailand was reported at 1.159 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Thailand - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

This collection provides users with data about R&D expenditure and R&D personnel broken down by the following institutional sectors: business enterprise (BES); government (GOV); higher education (HES); private non-profit (PNP), total of all sectors.

The R&D expenditure is broken down by source of funds; sector of performance; type of costs; type of R&D; fields of research and development (FORD); https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/c1b49c83-24a7-4ff2-951c-621ac0a89fd8/library/b4b841e5-d200-41bc-8f23-d0b1e034f689?p=1&n=10&sort=modified_DESC">socio-economic objectives (NABS 2007) and by regions (https://showvoc.op.europa.eu/#/datasets/ESTAT_Nomenclature_of_Territorial_Units_for_Statistics/data">NUTS 2 level). The business enterprise sector is further broken down by economic activity (https://showvoc.op.europa.eu/#/datasets/ESTAT_Statistical_Classification_of_Economic_Activities_in_the_European_Community_Rev._2/data">NACE Rev.2); size class; industry orientation.

R&D personnel data are broken down by professional position; sector of performance; educational attainment level; sex; field of research and development (https://www.oecd.org/innovation/frascati-manual-2015-9789264239012-en.htm">FORD); regions (https://showvoc.op.europa.eu/#/datasets/ESTAT_Nomenclature_of_Territorial_Units_for_Statistics/data">NUTS 2 level); for the business enterprise sector is further broken down in size class and economic activity (NACE Rev.2). Researchers are further broken down by age class and citizenship.

The periodicity of R&D data are every two years, except for the key R&D indicators (R&D expenditure, R&D personnel (in Full Time Equivalent - FTE) and Researchers (in FTE) by sectors of performance) which are transmitted annually by the EU Member States (from 2003 onwards based on a legal obligation). Some other breakdowns of the data may appear on an annual basis based on voluntary data provisions.

The data are collected through sample or census surveys, from administrative registers or through a combination of sources.

R&D data are available for following countries and country groups:

• All EU Member States; Candidate Countries; EFTA Countries; The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is data provider for the United States of America, Japan, South Korea and China.
• Country groups: EU Member States, Euro Area States.

R&D data are compiled in accordance to the guidelines laid down in OECD (2015), https://www.oecd.org/publications/frascati-manual-2015-9789264239012-en.htm">Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities and the European business statistics methodological manual for R&D statistics – 2023 edition - Manuals and guidelines - Eurostat

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in Japan was reported at 3.4054 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Expenditures on research and development (R&D) by performing sectors. This table is included in Section D: Postsecondary education: Research and development of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP). PCEIP draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, education finance and labour market outcomes. The program presents indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, as well as selected international comparisons and comparisons over time. PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in Israel was reported at 6.0192 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Israel - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

CN: R & D: Expenditure: Industrial Enterprise: DF: Other data was reported at 1,759.540 RMB mn in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,143.106 RMB mn for 2021. CN: R & D: Expenditure: Industrial Enterprise: DF: Other data is updated yearly, averaging 1,750.557 RMB mn from Dec 2011 (Median) to 2022, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,758.022 RMB mn in 2012 and a record low of 398.730 RMB mn in 2017. CN: R & D: Expenditure: Industrial Enterprise: DF: Other data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Business and Economic Survey – Table CN.OS: Research and Development: Expenditure.

CN: R & D: Expenditure: Enterprise: Industrial Enterprise: Large and Medium Sized data was reported at 1,494,587.520 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,356,859.600 RMB mn for 2022. CN: R & D: Expenditure: Enterprise: Industrial Enterprise: Large and Medium Sized data is updated yearly, averaging 321,023.000 RMB mn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2023, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,494,587.520 RMB mn in 2023 and a record low of 14,170.000 RMB mn in 1995. CN: R & D: Expenditure: Enterprise: Industrial Enterprise: Large and Medium Sized data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Business and Economic Survey – Table CN.OS: Research and Development: Expenditure.

Research and development and related expenditure by UK government departments and devolved administrations

Korea Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 4.228 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.277 % for 2014. Korea Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 2.728 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2015, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.277 % in 2014 and a record low of 2.063 % in 1999. Korea Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Technology. Gloss 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.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in World was reported at 2.6702 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

China R & D: Expenditure: High Technology Industry data was reported at 696,021.962 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 650,773.040 RMB mn for 2022. China R & D: Expenditure: High Technology Industry data is updated yearly, averaging 144,091.332 RMB mn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2023, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 696,021.962 RMB mn in 2023 and a record low of 1,780.000 RMB mn in 1995. China R & D: Expenditure: High Technology Industry data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Business and Economic Survey – Table CN.OS: Research and Development: Expenditure.

Saudi Arabia: Research and development expenditure, percent of GDP: The latest value from 2023 is 0.56 percent, an increase from 0.46 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 0.43 percent, based on data from 27 countries. Historically, the average for Saudi Arabia from 2003 to 2023 is 0.38 percent. The minimum value, 0.04 percent, was reached in 2005 while the maximum of 0.89 percent was recorded in 2011.