Japan vs South Korea: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Japan
3.4%
in 2023
South Korea
4.9%
in 2023
Japan rank
5th
South Korea rank
2nd
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.4% in Japan, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.4 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 2nd of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 0.7% | Japan |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.6% | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 3.8% | 0.6% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 4.7% | 1.4% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 4.9% against 3.4% in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Japan and South Korea?
- 1.5%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 2nd 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.