Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Serbia

Serbia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
0.9%
Change on year
up 7.0%
World rank
42nd
of 116 countries
All-time high
0.9%
in 2021
All-time low
0.3%
in 2004
Years of data
28
1997–2024

Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Serbia, 1997–2024

0.20.40.60.811997201020241997: 0.671 % of GDP1998: 0.698 % of GDP1999: 0.879 % of GDP2000: 0.802 % of GDP2001: 0.29 % of GDP2002: 0.611 % of GDP2003: 0.468 % of GDP2004: 0.282 % of GDP2005: 0.386 % of GDP2006: 0.429 % of GDP2007: 0.557 % of GDP2008: 0.645 % of GDP2009: 0.786 % of GDP2010: 0.675 % of GDP2011: 0.657 % of GDP2012: 0.819 % of GDP2013: 0.656 % of GDP2014: 0.693 % of GDP2015: 0.779 % of GDP2016: 0.808 % of GDP2017: 0.838 % of GDP2018: 0.882 % of GDP2019: 0.848 % of GDP2020: 0.865 % of GDP2021: 0.948 % of GDP2022: 0.919 % of GDP2023: 0.878 % of GDP2024: 0.94 % 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

In 2024, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Serbia stood at 0.9%.

The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and up 35.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Serbia peaked at 0.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2004.

Serbia ranks 42nd of 116 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.7% 0.7% 0.9% 3
2000s 0.5% 0.3% 0.8% 10
2010s 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 10
2020s 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 5

Countries ranked near Serbia

  1. 39 Slovakia 1.0% compare
  2. 40 Egypt 1.0% compare
  3. 41 Malaysia 1.0% compare
  4. 43 Russia 0.9% compare
  5. 44 Thailand 0.9% compare
  6. 45 Latvia 0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More science & technology data for Serbia

All data for Serbia →

Frequently asked questions

What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Serbia?
Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Serbia was 0.9% 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 Serbia?
The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 2021.
What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Serbia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2004.
How does Serbia rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Serbia ranks 42nd out of 116 countries with data for 2024.
Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Serbia?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Serbia 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.