Republic of Korea vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure
Research and development expenditure over time
- Republic of Korea
- United States of America
How they compare
Republic of Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.4% in United States of America, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes Republic of Korea's figure about 1.4 times United States of America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was United States of America ahead.
Republic of Korea ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 4th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Republic of Korea averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Republic of Korea | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 2.5% | 0.4% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.6% | 0.1% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 1.0% | Republic of Korea |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.5% | 1.3% | Republic of Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, Republic of Korea or United States of America?
- Republic of Korea, at 4.9% against 3.4% in United States of America as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 1.5%, with Republic of Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Republic of Korea and United States of America rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- Republic of Korea ranks 2nd 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.
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.