South Korea vs United States: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
South Korea
4.9%
in 2023
United States
3.4%
in 2023
South Korea rank
2nd
United States rank
4th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.4% in United States, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.4 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was United States ahead.
South Korea ranks 2nd and United States ranks 4th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.1% | 2.5% | 0.4% | United States |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.6% | 0.1% | United States |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 1.0% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 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, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 4.9% against 3.4% in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between South Korea and United States?
- 1.5%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 2nd 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.