Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Denmark
Denmark: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 3.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Denmark, 1996–2023
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 Denmark is 3.0%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Denmark peaked at 3.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1996.
Denmark ranks 11th of 116 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 4 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More science & technology data for Denmark
- Scientific and technical journal articles 15,603 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 7.57 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 126.69 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 126.69 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 186 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 99.8% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 1,090 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 3.0% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 2,045 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 5.79 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Denmark?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Denmark was 3.0% in 2023, 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1996.
- How does Denmark rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 11th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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 — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.