China vs France: Research and development expenditure
China
2.6%
in 2023
France
2.2%
in 2023
China rank
14th
France rank
16th
Research and development expenditure over time
- China
- France
How they compare
China currently reports 2.6% against 2.2% in France, a difference of 0.4%.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times France's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was France ahead.
China ranks 14th and France ranks 16th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and France in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 2.2% | 1.5% | France |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 2.1% | 0.9% | France |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 2.2% | 0.2% | France |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 0.2% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, China or France?
- China, at 2.6% against 2.2% in France as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between China and France?
- 0.4%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and France?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do China and France rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- China ranks 14th and France ranks 16th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.