China vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
China
2.6%
in 2023
United Kingdom
2.7%
in 2023
China rank
14th
United Kingdom rank
12th
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 2.7% against 2.6% in China, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was United Kingdom ahead.
China ranks 14th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 116 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 1.6% | 0.9% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.6% | 0.4% | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 2.1% | 0.1% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.8% | 0.4% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, China or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.6% in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between China and United Kingdom?
- 0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- China ranks 14th and United Kingdom 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.