Netherlands vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure

Netherlands
2.3%
in 2023
United Kingdom
2.7%
in 2023
Netherlands rank
15th
United Kingdom rank
12th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
0123199620092023

How they compare

United Kingdom currently reports 2.7% against 2.3% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.4%.

That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.2 times Netherlands's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Netherlands ahead.

Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands United Kingdom Difference Ahead
1990s 1.8% 1.6% 0.2% Netherlands
2000s 1.7% 1.6% 0.1% Netherlands
2010s 2.0% 2.1% 0.1% United Kingdom
2020s 2.2% 2.8% 0.6% United Kingdom

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Netherlands or United Kingdom?
United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.3% in Netherlands as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Netherlands and United Kingdom?
0.4%, with United Kingdom ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and United Kingdom?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Netherlands and United Kingdom rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 12th 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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Netherlands vs United Kingdom: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/netherlands/united-kingdom/

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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.