Sweden vs United States: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Sweden
3.6%
in 2023
United States
3.4%
in 2023
Sweden rank
3rd
United States rank
4th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Sweden
- United States
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 3.6% against 3.4% in United States, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Sweden ahead.
Sweden ranks 3rd and United States ranks 4th of 116 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 2.5% | 0.8% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 2.6% | 0.9% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 0.5% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 0.0% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Sweden or United States?
- Sweden, at 3.6% against 3.4% in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Sweden and United States?
- 0.2%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United States?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
- How do Sweden and United States rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Sweden ranks 3rd 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.