South Korea vs North America: Research and development expenditure
Research and development expenditure over time
- South Korea
- North America
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.3% in North America, a difference of 1.6%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.5 times North America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was North America ahead.
South Korea ranks 2nd and North America ranks 1st of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and North America in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 2.4% | 0.4% | North America |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.6% | 0.1% | North America |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.7% | 1.1% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.3% | 1.4% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, South Korea or North America?
- South Korea, at 4.9% against 3.3% in North America as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between South Korea and North America?
- 1.6%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and North America?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and North America rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- South Korea ranks 2nd and North America ranks 1st 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.