Research and development expenditure in North America
North America: Research and development expenditure was 3.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research and development expenditure in North America, 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 North America is 3.3%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in North America peaked at 3.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1996.
That places North America 1st out of 29 groups 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 North America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2.4% | — |
| 1997 | 2.4% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 4 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 1 Israel 6.3% compare
- 2 South Korea 4.9% compare
- 3 Sweden 3.6% compare
- 4 United States 3.4% compare
More science & technology data for North America
- Scientific and technical journal articles 494,654 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0013 units per person (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per square kilometre 0.0276 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Digital connectivity composite index 0.9882 standard deviations from the yearly mean (2025)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, annual growth rate -3.84 % change on previous year (2023)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 357,699 (2020)
- Patent applications, residents 274,038 (2020)
- Researchers in R&D 5,009 per million people (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure in North America?
- Research and development expenditure in North America was 3.3% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1996.
- How does North America rank for research and development expenditure?
- North America ranks 1st out of 29 groups with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.