Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Norway
Norway: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Norway, 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
In 2023, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Norway stood at 1.9%.
The figure is up 19.4% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Norway peaked at 2.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2006.
That places Norway 19th out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More science & technology data for Norway
- Scientific and technical journal articles 13,756 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 6.10 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 109.35 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 109.35 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 634 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 99.0% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 946 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 1.9% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 2,046 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 5.35 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Norway?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Norway was 1.9% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2006.
- How does Norway rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Norway ranks 19th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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 — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.