Which has higher research and development expenditure, Spain or United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates, at 1.5% against 1.5% in Spain as of 2021.

What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Spain and United Arab Emirates?

0.0%, with United Arab Emirates ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Arab Emirates?

8 years are reported by both, from 2011 to 2021.

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.

Spain vs United Arab Emirates: Research and development expenditure

Spain

1.5%

in 2023

United Arab Emirates

1.5%

in 2021

Spain rank

30th

United Arab Emirates rank

28th

Research and development expenditure over time

Spain
United Arab Emirates

How they compare

United Arab Emirates currently reports 1.5% against 1.5% in Spain, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2011 it was Spain ahead.

Spain ranks 30th and United Arab Emirates ranks 28th of 116 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 1 and United Arab Emirates in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Spain	United Arab Emirates	Difference	Ahead
2010s	1.2%	0.9%	0.3%	Spain
2020s	1.4%	1.5%	0.1%	United Arab Emirates

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Spain or United Arab Emirates?: United Arab Emirates, at 1.5% against 1.5% in Spain as of 2021.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Spain and United Arab Emirates?: 0.0%, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Arab Emirates?: 8 years are reported by both, from 2011 to 2021.
How do Spain and United Arab Emirates rank globally for research and development expenditure?: Spain ranks 30th and United Arab Emirates ranks 28th 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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Spain vs United Arab Emirates: 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/spain/united-arab-emirates/

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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: 20 August 2026

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.