Which has higher research and development expenditure, Denmark or Iceland?

Denmark, at 3.0% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Iceland?

24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.

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.

Denmark vs Iceland: Research and development expenditure

Denmark

3.0%

in 2023

Iceland

2.6%

in 2023

Denmark rank

11th

Iceland rank

13th

Research and development expenditure over time

Denmark
Iceland

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 3.0% against 2.6% in Iceland, a difference of 0.4%.

That makes Denmark's figure about 1.2 times Iceland's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Denmark ahead.

Denmark ranks 11th and Iceland ranks 13th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 3 and Iceland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Denmark	Iceland	Difference	Ahead
1990s	2.0%	2.0%	0.0%	Denmark
2000s	2.5%	2.7%	0.2%	Iceland
2010s	3.0%	2.1%	0.9%	Denmark
2020s	2.9%	2.6%	0.3%	Denmark

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Denmark or Iceland?: Denmark, at 3.0% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Denmark and Iceland?: 0.4%, with Denmark ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Iceland?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
How do Denmark and Iceland rank globally for research and development expenditure?: Denmark ranks 11th and Iceland ranks 13th 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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Denmark vs Iceland: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/denmark/iceland/

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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: 20 August 2026

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.