China vs Middle income: Research and development expenditure
China
2.6%
in 2023
Middle income
2.0%
in 2023
China rank
14th
Middle income rank
12th
Research and development expenditure over time
- China
- Middle income
How they compare
China currently reports 2.6% against 2.0% in Middle income, a difference of 0.6%.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times Middle income's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 14th and Middle income ranks 12th of 116 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.4% | China |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.3% | 0.7% | China |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 1.8% | 0.6% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, China or Middle income?
- China, at 2.6% against 2.0% in Middle income as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between China and Middle income?
- 0.6%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Middle income?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do China and Middle income rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- China ranks 14th and Middle income ranks 12th 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.