United States vs World: Research and development expenditure
United States
3.4%
in 2023
World
2.6%
in 2023
United States rank
4th
World rank
6th
Research and development expenditure over time
- United States
- World
How they compare
United States currently reports 3.4% against 2.6% in World, a difference of 0.8%.
That makes United States's figure about 1.3 times World's.
Across all 28 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
United States ranks 4th and World ranks 6th of 116 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 0.5% | United States |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 0.6% | United States |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 0.7% | United States |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 2.5% | 0.9% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure, United States or World?
- United States, at 3.4% against 2.6% in World as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure between United States and World?
- 0.8%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and World?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do United States and World rank globally for research and development expenditure?
- United States ranks 4th and World ranks 6th 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.