Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Sweden
Sweden: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 3.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
3.6%
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
3rd
of 116 countries
All-time high
3.9%
in 2001
All-time low
3.1%
in 2014
Years of data
24
1997–2023
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Sweden, 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
Sweden recorded 3.6% for research & development spending as a share of gdp in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Sweden peaked at 3.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2014.
Sweden ranks 3rd of 116 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3.3% | — |
| 1999 | 3.4% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +14.6% |
| 2003 | 3.6% | -7.5% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 3.2% | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | -6.6% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 3.5% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | +3.7% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 3.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 2.4× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 3.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.4%, 2.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 1 Israel 6.3% compare
- 2 South Korea 4.9% compare
- 4 United States 3.4% compare
- 5 Japan 3.4% compare
- 6 Belgium 3.3% compare
More science & technology data for Sweden
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 140.69 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.41 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 14.92 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 36.34 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.3001 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.8277 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 21,244 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Sweden?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Sweden was 3.6% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2014.
- How does Sweden rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Sweden ranks 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sweden 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.