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
- France
How they compare
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.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and France in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 2.2% | 1.5% | France |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 2.1% | 0.9% | France |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 2.2% | 0.2% | France |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 0.2% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, China or France?
- China, at 2.6% against 2.2% in France as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between China and France?
- 0.4%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and France?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do China and France rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- China ranks 14th 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.