Canada vs Ireland: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Canada
1.8%
in 2024
Ireland
1.6%
in 2023
Canada rank
23rd
Ireland rank
25th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Canada
- Ireland
How they compare
Canada currently reports 1.8% against 1.6% in Ireland, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
Across all 28 years both countries report, Canada has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 23rd and Ireland ranks 25th of 116 countries.
Canada has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.5% | Canada |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.7% | Canada |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.4% | Canada |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.5% | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Canada or Ireland?
- Canada, at 1.8% against 1.6% in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Canada and Ireland?
- 0.2%, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Ireland?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Canada and Ireland rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Canada ranks 23rd and Ireland ranks 25th 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.