Estonia vs Singapore: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

Estonia
1.8%
in 2023
Singapore
1.8%
in 2022
Estonia rank
20th
Singapore rank
22nd

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

  • Estonia
  • Singapore
0.511.522.5199620092023

How they compare

Estonia currently reports 1.8% against 1.8% in Singapore, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Singapore ahead.

Estonia ranks 20th and Singapore ranks 22nd of 116 countries.

Singapore has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Estonia Singapore Difference Ahead
1990s 0.6% 1.8% 1.2% Singapore
2000s 0.9% 2.1% 1.2% Singapore
2010s 1.6% 2.0% 0.4% Singapore
2020s 1.7% 2.0% 0.2% Singapore

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Estonia or Singapore?
Estonia, at 1.8% against 1.8% in Singapore as of 2023.
What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Estonia and Singapore?
0.0%, with Estonia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and Singapore?
25 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2022.
How do Estonia and Singapore rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Estonia ranks 20th and Singapore ranks 22nd 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

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

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.