Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Macao
Macao: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Macao, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Macao stood at 0.3%.
That represents a change of up 14.7% on the previous year and up 254.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Macao peaked at 0.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2011.
That places Macao 74th out of 116 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Macao, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.1% | — |
| 2002 | 0.1% | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -10.2% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -14.4% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | +63.9% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -31.4% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | +77.8% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -46.5% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | -11.7% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | +71.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +55.5% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | +72.1% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -26.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | +16.9% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | +22.9% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | +83.4% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -17.7% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | +14.6% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | -36.6% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | +14.7% |
Macao compared with similar countries
- Macao's 0.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 21% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Macao's 0.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.0%, 31% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Macao
- 71 Montenegro 0.4% compare
- 72 Costa Rica 0.3% compare
- 73 Venezuela 0.3% compare
- 75 Mozambique 0.3% compare
- 76 Colombia 0.3% compare
- 77 Armenia 0.3% compare
More science & technology data for Macao
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 201.14 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 2.11 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.45 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 41,640 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Digital connectivity composite index 0.702 standard deviations from the yearly mean (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 1.45 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Macao?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Macao was 0.3% in 2024, 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 Macao?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Macao?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2011.
- How does Macao rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Macao ranks 74th out of 116 countries with data for 2024.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Macao?
- Over the last ten years it is up 254.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Macao 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 — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.