Research & development spending as a share of GDP in New Zealand
New Zealand: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in New Zealand, 1997–2023
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 New Zealand is 1.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and up 34.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in New Zealand peaked at 1.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1999.
New Zealand ranks 27th of 116 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1.1% | — |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -8.8% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +14.2% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | +4.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.0%, 1.5× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More science & technology data for New Zealand
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 130.09 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.28 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 6.78 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 24.92 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 3.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 8,096 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0016 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in New Zealand?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in New Zealand was 1.5% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1999.
- How does New Zealand rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- New Zealand ranks 27th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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 — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.