Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.4% in 2015. ◆ Volatile
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2004–2015
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for research & development spending as a share of gdp in Democratic Republic of Congo is 0.4%, measured in 2015. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 600.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 0.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2005.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 66th of 116 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 0.3% | — |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -78.3% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | +125.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -39.4% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +419.5% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 0.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.2%, 1.8× the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 0.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3%, 1.6× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More science & technology data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 58.53 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.5853 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 63.96 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 24.82 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 10.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 13.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 243.06 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Democratic Republic of Congo was 0.4% in 2015, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2005.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 66th out of 116 countries with data for 2015.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 600.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.