Japan vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure

Japan
3.4%
in 2023
United States of America
3.4%
in 2023
Japan rank
5th
United States of America rank
4th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Japan
  • United States of America
0123199620092023

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 3.4% against 3.4% in Japan, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 5th and United States of America ranks 4th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and United States of America in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 2.8% 2.5% 0.3% Japan
2000s 3.1% 2.6% 0.5% Japan
2010s 3.2% 2.8% 0.4% Japan
2020s 3.3% 3.5% 0.1% United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Japan or United States of America?
United States of America, at 3.4% against 3.4% in Japan as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Japan and United States of America?
0.0%, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States of America?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Japan and United States of America rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Japan ranks 5th and United States of America ranks 4th 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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Japan vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/japan/united-states/

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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.