High income vs Japan: Research and development expenditure

High income
2.9%
in 2023
Japan
3.4%
in 2023
High income rank
4th
Japan rank
5th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • High income
  • Japan
0123199620092023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 3.4% against 2.9% in High income, a difference of 0.5%.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times High income's.

Across all 28 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

High income ranks 4th and Japan ranks 5th of 29 groups.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade High income Japan Difference Ahead
1990s 2.2% 2.8% 0.6% Japan
2000s 2.2% 3.1% 0.8% Japan
2010s 2.4% 3.2% 0.8% Japan
2020s 2.8% 3.3% 0.5% Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, High income or Japan?
Japan, at 3.4% against 2.9% in High income as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between High income and Japan?
0.5%, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for High income and Japan?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do High income and Japan rank globally for research and development expenditure?
High income ranks 4th and Japan ranks 5th of 29 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.

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High income vs Japan: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/high-income/japan/

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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

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.