High income vs South Korea: Research and development expenditure

High income
2.9%
in 2023
South Korea
4.9%
in 2023
High income rank
4th
South Korea rank
2nd

Research and development expenditure over time

  • High income
  • South Korea
012345199620092023

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 4.9% against 2.9% in High income, a difference of 2.0%.

That makes South Korea's figure about 1.7 times High income's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was South Korea ahead.

High income ranks 4th and South Korea ranks 2nd of 29 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, High income averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade High income South Korea Difference Ahead
1990s 2.2% 2.1% 0.1% High income
2000s 2.2% 2.5% 0.2% South Korea
2010s 2.4% 3.8% 1.4% South Korea
2020s 2.8% 4.7% 1.9% South Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, High income or South Korea?
South Korea, at 4.9% against 2.9% in High income as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between High income and South Korea?
2.0%, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for High income and South Korea?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do High income and South Korea rank globally for research and development expenditure?
High income ranks 4th and South Korea ranks 2nd 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 South Korea: 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/korea-rep/

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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.