Australia vs France: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Australia
1.9%
in 2021
France
2.2%
in 2023
Australia rank
18th
France rank
16th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Australia
- France
How they compare
France currently reports 2.2% against 1.9% in Australia, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes France's figure about 1.2 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 1996 it was France ahead.
Australia ranks 18th and France ranks 16th of 116 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.6% | 2.2% | 0.6% | France |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 2.1% | 0.2% | France |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 2.2% | 0.1% | France |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 2.2% | 0.4% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Australia or France?
- France, at 2.2% against 1.9% in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Australia and France?
- 0.3%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and France?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2021.
- How do Australia and France rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Australia ranks 18th and France ranks 16th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.