Research and development expenditure in Sweden

Sweden: Research and development expenditure was 3.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
3.6%
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
3rd
of 116 countries
All-time high
3.9%
in 2001
All-time low
3.1%
in 2014
Years of data
24
1997–2023

Research and development expenditure in Sweden, 1997–2023

012341997201020231997: 3.3 % of GDP1999: 3.4 % of GDP2001: 3.9 % of GDP2003: 3.6 % of GDP2004: 3.4 % of GDP2005: 3.4 % of GDP2006: 3.5 % of GDP2007: 3.2 % of GDP2008: 3.5 % of GDP2009: 3.4 % of GDP2010: 3.2 % of GDP2011: 3.2 % of GDP2012: 3.2 % of GDP2013: 3.3 % of GDP2014: 3.1 % of GDP2015: 3.2 % of GDP2016: 3.3 % of GDP2017: 3.4 % of GDP2018: 3.3 % of GDP2019: 3.4 % of GDP2020: 3.5 % of GDP2021: 3.4 % of GDP2022: 3.5 % of GDP2023: 3.6 % of GDP

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 3.6% for research and development expenditure in 2023.

That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in Sweden peaked at 3.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2014.

That places Sweden 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

Research and development expenditure in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) in Sweden, 1997 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1997 3.3%
1999 3.4% +3.2%
2001 3.9% +14.6%
2003 3.6% -7.5%
2004 3.4% -6.0%
2005 3.4% -0.1%
2006 3.5% +3.4%
2007 3.2% -6.8%
2008 3.5% +7.7%
2009 3.4% -2.2%
2010 3.2% -6.6%
2011 3.2% +0.6%
2012 3.2% +1.2%
2013 3.3% +0.9%
2014 3.1% -4.6%
2015 3.2% +3.7%
2016 3.3% +0.5%
2017 3.4% +4.2%
2018 3.3% -1.4%
2019 3.4% +1.6%
2020 3.5% +3.0%
2021 3.4% -2.5%
2022 3.5% +1.7%
2023 3.6% +3.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.3% 3.3% 3.4% 2
2000s 3.5% 3.2% 3.9% 8
2010s 3.3% 3.1% 3.4% 10
2020s 3.5% 3.4% 3.6% 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 1 Israel 6.3% compare
  2. 2 Korea 4.9% compare
  3. 4 United States of America 3.4% compare
  4. 5 Japan 3.4% compare
  5. 6 Belgium 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 147 places →

More science & technology data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is research and development expenditure in Sweden?
Research and development expenditure in Sweden was 3.6% 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 Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2001.
What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2014.
How does Sweden rank for research and development expenditure?
Sweden ranks 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sweden 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

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Research and development expenditure in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/sweden/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/sweden/">Research and development expenditure in Sweden</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 3,092 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

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.