United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs Upper middle income: Research and development expenditure

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.7%
in 2023
Upper middle income
2.0%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
12th
Upper middle income rank
13th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Upper middle income
0.511.522.53199620092023

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 2.7% against 2.0% in Upper middle income, a difference of 0.7%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.3 times Upper middle income's.

Across all 24 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 13th of 116 countries.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Upper middle income Difference Ahead
2000s 1.6% 0.8% 0.8% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 2.1% 1.4% 0.7% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 2.8% 1.9% 0.9% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or Upper middle income?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 2.7% against 2.0% in Upper middle income as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Upper middle income?
0.7%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Upper middle income?
24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
How do United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Upper middle income rank globally for research and development expenditure?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 13th 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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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs Upper middle income: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/united-kingdom/upper-middle-income/

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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.