European Union vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- European Union
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 2.7% against 2.3% in European Union, a difference of 0.4%.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.2 times European Union's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was European Union ahead.
European Union ranks 10th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 31 groups.
Across the 4 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.2% | European Union |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.2% | European Union |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.0% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.8% | 0.6% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, European Union or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.3% in European Union as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between European Union and United Kingdom?
- 0.4%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United Kingdom?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do European Union and United Kingdom rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- European Union ranks 10th and United Kingdom 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.
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.