Germany vs United Kingdom: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

Germany

3.2%

in 2023

United Kingdom

2.7%

in 2023

Germany rank

9th

United Kingdom rank

12th

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

Germany currently reports 3.2% against 2.7% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.5%.

That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.

Across all 28 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

Germany ranks 9th and United Kingdom ranks 12th 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.