Research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of)
China (People’s Republic of): Research and development expenditure was 2.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of), 1996–2023
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of) is 2.6%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 31.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 2.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1996.
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 14th of 116 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)
More science & technology data for China (People’s Republic of)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 131.75 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.33 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.87 billion (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 194.33 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 2.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 932,712 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0007 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Research and development expenditure in China (People’s Republic of) was 2.6% in 2023, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest research and development expenditure recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1996.
- How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for research and development expenditure?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 14th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.