Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Estonia
Estonia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Estonia, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Estonia stood at 1.8%.
That represents a change of up 4.4% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Estonia peaked at 2.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1998.
Estonia ranks 20th of 116 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 1.2% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More science & technology data for Estonia
- Scientific and technical journal articles 1,754 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 2.06 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 151.13 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 151.13 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 1 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 92.2% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 25 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 1.8% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 444 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 1.21 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Estonia?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Estonia was 1.8% 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1998.
- How does Estonia rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Estonia ranks 20th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Estonia 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 — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.