Hong Kong, China vs Italy: Research and development expenditure

Hong Kong, China
1.1%
in 2024
Italy
1.4%
in 2023
Hong Kong, China rank
36th
Italy rank
33rd

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Hong Kong, China
  • Italy
0.50.7511.21.5199620102024

How they compare

Italy currently reports 1.4% against 1.1% in Hong Kong, China, a difference of 0.3%.

That makes Italy's figure about 1.2 times Hong Kong, China's.

Across all 26 years both countries report, Italy has been ahead every year.

Hong Kong, China ranks 36th and Italy ranks 33rd of 116 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Hong Kong, China Italy Difference Ahead
1990s 0.4% 1.0% 0.5% Italy
2000s 0.7% 1.1% 0.4% Italy
2010s 0.8% 1.3% 0.5% Italy
2020s 1.0% 1.4% 0.4% Italy

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Hong Kong, China or Italy?
Italy, at 1.4% against 1.1% in Hong Kong, China as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Hong Kong, China and Italy?
0.3%, with Italy ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Hong Kong, China and Italy?
26 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2023.
How do Hong Kong, China and Italy rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Hong Kong, China ranks 36th and Italy ranks 33rd 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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Hong Kong, China vs Italy: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/hong-kong-sar-china/italy/

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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.