European Union vs Japan: Research and development expenditure
European Union
2.3%
in 2023
Japan
3.4%
in 2023
European Union rank
10th
Japan rank
5th
Research and development expenditure over time
- European Union
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 3.4% against 2.3% in European Union, a difference of 1.1%.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.5 times European Union's.
Across all 28 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
European Union ranks 10th and Japan ranks 5th of 31 groups.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 2.8% | 1.0% | Japan |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 3.1% | 1.3% | Japan |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 3.2% | 1.1% | Japan |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 3.3% | 1.1% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, European Union or Japan?
- Japan, at 3.4% against 2.3% in European Union as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between European Union and Japan?
- 1.1%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Japan?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do European Union and Japan rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- European Union ranks 10th and Japan ranks 5th 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.
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.