Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Australia
Australia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Australia, 1996–2021
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Australia recorded 1.9% for research & development spending as a share of gdp in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Australia peaked at 2.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1998.
That places Australia 18th out of 116 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 6 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More science & technology data for Australia
- Scientific and technical journal articles 54,589 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 30.07 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 112.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 112.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 29,443 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 96.1% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 2,966 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 1.9% (2021)
- Number of people using the Internet 25.17 million users (2021)
- Landline Internet subscriptions per 100 people 36.48 per 100 people (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Australia?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Australia was 1.9% in 2021, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 2008.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1998.
- How does Australia rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Australia ranks 18th out of 116 countries with data for 2021.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.