Netherlands vs United Kingdom: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Netherlands
2.3%
in 2023
United Kingdom
2.7%
in 2023
Netherlands rank
15th
United Kingdom rank
12th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 2.7% against 2.3% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.4%.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.2 times Netherlands's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Netherlands ahead.
Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 12th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.2% | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.1% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 2.1% | 0.1% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.8% | 0.6% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Netherlands or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 2.7% against 2.3% in Netherlands as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Netherlands and United Kingdom?
- 0.4%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and United Kingdom?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Netherlands and United Kingdom rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 12th 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.