Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Moldova

Moldova: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
0.2%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
87th
of 116 countries
All-time high
0.9%
in 1996
All-time low
0.2%
in 2024
Years of data
24
1996–2024

Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Moldova, 1996–2024

0.20.40.60.81996201020241996: 0.873 % of GDP1997: 0.807 % of GDP2003: 0.324 % of GDP2004: 0.349 % of GDP2005: 0.399 % of GDP2006: 0.406 % of GDP2007: 0.546 % of GDP2008: 0.535 % of GDP2009: 0.526 % of GDP2010: 0.366 % of GDP2011: 0.338 % of GDP2012: 0.349 % of GDP2013: 0.298 % of GDP2014: 0.315 % of GDP2015: 0.307 % of GDP2016: 0.28 % of GDP2017: 0.258 % of GDP2018: 0.256 % of GDP2019: 0.241 % of GDP2020: 0.235 % of GDP2021: 0.232 % of GDP2022: 0.23 % of GDP2023: 0.221 % of GDP2024: 0.216 % 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

The most recent figure for research & development spending as a share of gdp in Moldova is 0.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 31.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Moldova peaked at 0.9% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2024.

That places Moldova 87th out of 116 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.8% 0.8% 0.9% 2
2000s 0.4% 0.3% 0.5% 7
2010s 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 5

Countries ranked near Moldova

  1. 84 Mexico 0.3% compare
  2. 85 Bermuda 0.2% compare
  3. 86 Sudan 0.2% compare
  4. 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.2% compare
  5. 89 Burundi 0.2% compare
  6. 90 Azerbaijan 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More science & technology data for Moldova

All data for Moldova →

Frequently asked questions

What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Moldova?
Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Moldova was 0.2% 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 Moldova?
The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 1996.
What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Moldova?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2024.
How does Moldova rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Moldova ranks 87th out of 116 countries with data for 2024.
Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Moldova?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Moldova 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

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.