Denmark vs Germany: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Denmark
3.0%
in 2023
Germany
3.2%
in 2023
Denmark rank
11th
Germany rank
9th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Denmark
- Germany
How they compare
Germany currently reports 3.2% against 3.0% in Denmark, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Germany ahead.
Denmark ranks 11th and Germany ranks 9th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.0% | 2.2% | 0.3% | Germany |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.0% | Denmark |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 2.9% | 0.1% | Denmark |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 3.1% | 0.2% | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Denmark or Germany?
- Germany, at 3.2% against 3.0% in Denmark as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Denmark and Germany?
- 0.2%, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Germany?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Denmark and Germany rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 11th and Germany ranks 9th 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.