Germany vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Germany
3.2%
in 2023
United Kingdom
2.7%
in 2023
Germany rank
9th
United Kingdom rank
12th
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Germany
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Germany currently reports 3.2% against 2.7% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.5%.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.
Across all 28 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.
Germany ranks 9th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 116 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 0.6% | Germany |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.9% | Germany |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.1% | 0.8% | Germany |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 0.3% | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, Germany or United Kingdom?
- Germany, at 3.2% against 2.7% in United Kingdom as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Germany and United Kingdom?
- 0.5%, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Germany and United Kingdom rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- Germany ranks 9th and United Kingdom ranks 12th 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.
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.