China (People’s Republic of) vs IBRD only: Research and development expenditure

China (People’s Republic of)
2.6%
in 2023
IBRD only
1.9%
in 2023
China (People’s Republic of) rank
14th
IBRD only rank
14th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • China (People’s Republic of)
  • IBRD only
0.511.522.5199620092023

How they compare

China (People’s Republic of) currently reports 2.6% against 1.9% in IBRD only, a difference of 0.7%.

That makes China (People’s Republic of)'s figure about 1.4 times IBRD only's.

Across all 25 years both countries report, China (People’s Republic of) has been ahead every year.

China (People’s Republic of) ranks 14th and IBRD only ranks 14th of 116 countries.

China (People’s Republic of) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China (People’s Republic of) IBRD only Difference Ahead
1990s 0.7% 0.6% 0.2% China (People’s Republic of)
2000s 1.2% 0.8% 0.4% China (People’s Republic of)
2010s 2.0% 1.3% 0.7% China (People’s Republic of)
2020s 2.5% 1.8% 0.7% China (People’s Republic of)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, China (People’s Republic of) or IBRD only?
China (People’s Republic of), at 2.6% against 1.9% in IBRD only as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between China (People’s Republic of) and IBRD only?
0.7%, with China (People’s Republic of) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China (People’s Republic of) and IBRD only?
25 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2023.
How do China (People’s Republic of) and IBRD only rank globally for research and development expenditure?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 14th and IBRD only ranks 14th 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.

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China (People’s Republic of) vs IBRD only: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/china/ibrd-only/

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About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 3,092 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

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.