China vs France: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

China

2.6%

in 2023

France

2.2%

in 2023

China rank

14th

France rank

16th

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

China currently reports 2.6% against 2.2% in France, a difference of 0.4%.

That makes China's figure about 1.2 times France's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was France ahead.

China ranks 14th and France ranks 16th of 116 countries.

Indicator: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Unit: % of GDP
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 116 places, 2,375 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.