Europe & Central Asia vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Research and development expenditure

Europe & Central Asia
2.1%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.7%
in 2023
Europe & Central Asia rank
11th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
12th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Europe & Central Asia
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
0123199620092023

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 2.7% against 2.1% in Europe & Central Asia, a difference of 0.6%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.3 times Europe & Central Asia's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Europe & Central Asia ahead.

Europe & Central Asia ranks 11th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 12th of 31 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, Europe & Central Asia averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Europe & Central Asia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1990s 1.6% 1.6% 0.1% Europe & Central Asia
2000s 1.7% 1.6% 0.1% Europe & Central Asia
2010s 1.9% 2.1% 0.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 2.1% 2.8% 0.7% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Europe & Central Asia or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 2.7% against 2.1% in Europe & Central Asia as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Europe & Central Asia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.6%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Europe & Central Asia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Europe & Central Asia ranks 11th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 12th of 31 groups.
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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Europe & Central Asia vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/europe-and-central-asia/united-kingdom/

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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.