Ireland vs Portugal: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Ireland
1.6%
in 2023
Portugal
1.7%
in 2023
Ireland rank
25th
Portugal rank
24th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Ireland
- Portugal
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Portugal's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 25th and Portugal ranks 24th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 2 and Portugal in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.3% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.0% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.7% | 0.3% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Ireland or Portugal?
- Portugal, at 1.7% against 1.6% in Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Ireland and Portugal?
- 0.1%, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Portugal?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and Portugal rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 25th and Portugal ranks 24th 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.