European Union vs Switzerland: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
European Union
2.3%
in 2023
Switzerland
3.2%
in 2023
European Union rank
10th
Switzerland rank
8th
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- European Union
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 3.2% against 2.3% in European Union, a difference of 0.9%.
That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.4 times European Union's.
Across all 10 years both countries report, Switzerland has been ahead every year.
European Union ranks 10th and Switzerland ranks 8th of 31 groups.
Switzerland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 2.4% | 0.7% | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 2.5% | 0.7% | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 3.0% | 0.9% | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 3.2% | 1.0% | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, European Union or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 3.2% against 2.3% in European Union as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between European Union and Switzerland?
- 0.9%, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Switzerland?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do European Union and Switzerland rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- European Union ranks 10th and Switzerland ranks 8th 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.