Japan vs Republic of Korea: Research and development expenditure
Research and development expenditure over time
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
How they compare
Republic of Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.4% in Japan, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes Republic of Korea's figure about 1.4 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 5th and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and Republic of Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Republic of Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 0.7% | Japan |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.6% | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 3.8% | 0.6% | Republic of Korea |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 4.7% | 1.4% | Republic of Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, Japan or Republic of Korea?
- Republic of Korea, at 4.9% against 3.4% in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 1.5%, with Republic of Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- Japan ranks 5th and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd 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.