China—R&D Spending (% of GDP)
China's R&D spending (% of GDP) was 2.58% in 2023, ranking #15 out of 114 countries. This represents a +3.3% change from 2022. Over the past 24 years, the highest recorded value was 2.58% (2023) and the lowest was 0.88% (2000). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.58% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 2.49% | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 2.38% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 2.36% | +7.1% |
| 2019 | 2.20% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 2.10% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 2.08% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 2.06% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 2.02% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.98% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 1.96% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 1.88% | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 1.75% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 1.68% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 1.64% | +15.0% |
| 2008 | 1.42% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 1.35% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 1.35% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 1.29% | +7.7% |
| 2004 | 1.20% | +8.4% |
| 2003 | 1.10% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 1.04% | +12.3% |
| 2001 | 0.93% | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 0.88% |
Top Countries — R&D Spending (% of GDP)
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel | 6.35% | 2023 |
| 2 | Liechtenstein | 6.01% | 2023 |
| 3 | Korea, Rep. | 4.94% | 2023 |
| 4 | Sweden | 3.60% | 2023 |
| 5 | United States | 3.45% | 2023 |
| 6 | Japan | 3.44% | 2023 |
| 7 | Belgium | 3.27% | 2023 |
| 8 | Austria | 3.26% | 2023 |
| 9 | Switzerland | 3.22% | 2023 |
| 10 | Germany | 3.15% | 2023 |
About This Indicator
Definition
Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
Methodology
Data compiled by Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources/bulk, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-03-26, date published: 2025-02.
Unit
% of GDP