China vs Netherlands: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
China
2.6%
in 2023
Netherlands
2.3%
in 2023
China rank
14th
Netherlands rank
15th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- China
- Netherlands
How they compare
China currently reports 2.6% against 2.3% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Netherlands's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Netherlands ahead.
China ranks 14th and Netherlands ranks 15th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Netherlands in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 1.8% | 1.2% | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.7% | 0.5% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 0.1% | Netherlands |
| 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 Netherlands?
- China, at 2.6% against 2.3% in Netherlands as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between China and Netherlands?
- 0.3%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Netherlands?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do China and Netherlands rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- China ranks 14th and Netherlands ranks 15th 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.