Research and development expenditure in Japan
Japan: Research and development expenditure was 3.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research and development expenditure in Japan, 1996–2023
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, research and development expenditure in Japan stood at 3.4%. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in Japan peaked at 3.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1996.
That places Japan 5th out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Research and development expenditure in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2.6% | — |
| 1997 | 2.7% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 2.9% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 3.1% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More science & technology data for Japan
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 178.43 (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.78 units per person (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 221.92 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 608.71 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 5.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.3 % change on previous year (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 96,543 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0008 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure in Japan?
- Research and development expenditure in Japan was 3.4% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1996.
- How does Japan rank for research and development expenditure?
- Japan ranks 5th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.
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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.