Japan vs United States: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Japan
3.4%
in 2023
United States
3.4%
in 2023
Japan rank
5th
United States rank
4th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 3.4% against 3.4% in Japan, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 5th and United States ranks 4th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 0.3% | Japan |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.6% | 0.5% | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 0.4% | Japan |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.5% | 0.1% | United States |
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 United States?
- United States, at 3.4% against 3.4% in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Japan and United States?
- 0.0%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 5th and United States ranks 4th 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.