South Korea vs Sweden: Research and development expenditure
South Korea
4.9%
in 2023
Sweden
3.6%
in 2023
South Korea rank
2nd
Sweden rank
3rd
Research and development expenditure over time
- South Korea
- Sweden
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.6% in Sweden, a difference of 1.3%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.4 times Sweden's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Sweden ahead.
South Korea ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 3rd of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 3.3% | 1.3% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 3.5% | 0.9% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 0.6% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.5% | 1.2% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, South Korea or Sweden?
- South Korea, at 4.9% against 3.6% in Sweden as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between South Korea and Sweden?
- 1.3%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Sweden?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and Sweden rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- South Korea ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 3rd 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.