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

Ireland
1.6%
in 2023
Singapore
1.8%
in 2022
Ireland rank
25th
Singapore rank
22nd

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

  • Ireland
  • Singapore
0123199620092023

How they compare

Singapore currently reports 1.8% against 1.6% in Ireland, a difference of 0.2%.

That makes Singapore's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.

Across all 27 years both countries report, Singapore has been ahead every year.

Ireland ranks 25th 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 Ireland Singapore Difference Ahead
1990s 1.2% 1.6% 0.4% Singapore
2000s 1.2% 2.1% 0.9% Singapore
2010s 1.3% 2.0% 0.6% Singapore
2020s 1.2% 2.0% 0.7% Singapore

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 Singapore?
Singapore, at 1.8% against 1.6% in Ireland as of 2022.
What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Ireland and Singapore?
0.2%, with Singapore ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Singapore?
27 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2022.
How do Ireland and Singapore rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Ireland ranks 25th 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.