Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Turkey

Turkey: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
1.4%
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
31st
of 116 countries
All-time high
1.4%
in 2023
All-time low
0.4%
in 1998
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Turkey, 1996–2023

0.250.50.7511.21.51996200920231996: 0.452 % of GDP1997: 0.492 % of GDP1998: 0.362 % of GDP1999: 0.456 % of GDP2000: 0.466 % of GDP2001: 0.522 % of GDP2002: 0.509 % of GDP2003: 0.465 % of GDP2004: 0.497 % of GDP2005: 0.564 % of GDP2006: 0.553 % of GDP2007: 0.686 % of GDP2008: 0.687 % of GDP2009: 0.804 % of GDP2010: 0.794 % of GDP2011: 0.794 % of GDP2012: 0.826 % of GDP2013: 0.812 % of GDP2014: 0.856 % of GDP2015: 0.967 % of GDP2016: 1.1 % of GDP2017: 1.2 % of GDP2018: 1.3 % of GDP2019: 1.3 % of GDP2020: 1.4 % of GDP2021: 1.4 % of GDP2022: 1.3 % of GDP2023: 1.4 % 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 Turkey is 1.4%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.5% on the previous year and up 75.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Turkey peaked at 1.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1998.

That places Turkey 31st out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 4
2000s 0.6% 0.5% 0.8% 10
2010s 1.0% 0.8% 1.3% 10
2020s 1.4% 1.3% 1.4% 4

Countries ranked near Turkey

  1. 28 United Arab Emirates 1.5% compare
  2. 29 Greece 1.5% compare
  3. 30 Spain 1.5% compare
  4. 32 Croatia 1.4% compare
  5. 33 Italy 1.4% compare
  6. 34 Hungary 1.4% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More science & technology data for Turkey

All data for Turkey →

Frequently asked questions

What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Turkey?
Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Turkey was 1.4% 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 Turkey?
The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Turkey?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1998.
How does Turkey rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Turkey ranks 31st out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Turkey?
Over the last ten years it is up 75.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Turkey 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.

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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.