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Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Japan

Japan: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 3.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
3.4%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
5th
of 116 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 2023
All-time low
2.6%
in 1996
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Japan, 1996–2023

01231996200920231996: 2.6 % of GDP1997: 2.7 % of GDP1998: 2.8 % of GDP1999: 2.8 % of GDP2000: 2.9 % of GDP2001: 2.9 % of GDP2002: 3 % of GDP2003: 3 % of GDP2004: 3 % of GDP2005: 3.1 % of GDP2006: 3.2 % of GDP2007: 3.3 % of GDP2008: 3.3 % of GDP2009: 3.2 % of GDP2010: 3.1 % of GDP2011: 3.2 % of GDP2012: 3.2 % of GDP2013: 3.3 % of GDP2014: 3.4 % of GDP2015: 3.2 % of GDP2016: 3.1 % of GDP2017: 3.2 % of GDP2018: 3.2 % of GDP2019: 3.2 % of GDP2020: 3.3 % of GDP2021: 3.3 % of GDP2022: 3.4 % of GDP2023: 3.4 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Japan recorded 3.4% for research & development spending as a share of gdp in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Japan peaked at 3.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1996.

Japan ranks 5th 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.8% 2.6% 2.8% 4
2000s 3.1% 2.9% 3.3% 10
2010s 3.2% 3.1% 3.4% 10
2020s 3.3% 3.3% 3.4% 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 2 South Korea 4.9% compare
  2. 3 Sweden 3.6% compare
  3. 4 United States 3.4% compare
  4. 6 Belgium 3.3% compare
  5. 7 Austria 3.3% compare
  6. 8 Switzerland 3.2% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More science & technology data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Japan?
Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Japan was 3.4% 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 Japan?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1996.
How does Japan rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Japan ranks 5th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan 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

Indicator
Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
116 places, 2,375 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.