Which has higher research and development expenditure, Iceland or United Kingdom?

United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.

What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Iceland and United Kingdom?

0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United Kingdom?

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.

Iceland vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)

Iceland

2.6%

in 2023

United Kingdom

2.7%

in 2023

Iceland rank

13th

United Kingdom rank

12th

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time

Iceland
United Kingdom

How they compare

United Kingdom currently reports 2.7% against 2.6% in Iceland, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 13th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	United Kingdom	Difference	Ahead
1990s	2.0%	1.6%	0.4%	Iceland
2000s	2.7%	1.6%	1.1%	Iceland
2010s	2.1%	2.2%	0.1%	United Kingdom
2020s	2.6%	2.8%	0.2%	United Kingdom

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Iceland or United Kingdom?: United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.6% in Iceland as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Iceland and United Kingdom?: 0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United Kingdom?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
How do Iceland and United Kingdom rank globally for research and development expenditure?: Iceland ranks 13th 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.

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Iceland vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/iceland/united-kingdom/

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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: 29 October 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.