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

Finland, at 3.1% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Finland 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.

Finland vs Iceland: Research and development expenditure

Finland

3.1%

in 2023

Iceland

2.6%

in 2023

Finland rank

10th

Iceland rank

13th

Research and development expenditure over time

Finland
Iceland

How they compare

Finland currently reports 3.1% against 2.6% in Iceland, a difference of 0.5%.

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

Across all 24 years both countries report, Finland has been ahead every year.

Finland ranks 10th and Iceland ranks 13th of 116 countries.

Finland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Finland	Iceland	Difference	Ahead
1990s	2.8%	2.0%	0.8%	Finland
2000s	3.4%	2.7%	0.7%	Finland
2010s	3.0%	2.1%	0.9%	Finland
2020s	3.0%	2.6%	0.4%	Finland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Finland or Iceland?: Finland, at 3.1% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Finland and Iceland?: 0.5%, with Finland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Iceland?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
How do Finland and Iceland rank globally for research and development expenditure?: Finland ranks 10th 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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Finland vs Iceland: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/finland/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.