Saudi Arabia—R&D Spending (% of GDP)
Saudi Arabia's R&D spending (% of GDP) was 0.64% in 2024, ranking #58 out of 114 countries. This represents a +28.4% change from 2023. Over the past 16 years, the highest recorded value was 0.89% (2011) and the lowest was 0.04% (2005). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.64% | +28.4% |
| 2023 | 0.49% | +19.4% |
| 2022 | 0.41% | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 0.39% | -17.3% |
| 2020 | 0.48% | -39.8% |
| 2013 | 0.79% | -7.9% |
| 2012 | 0.86% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 0.89% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.88% | +1104.7% |
| 2009 | 0.07% | +49.7% |
| 2008 | 0.05% | +8.4% |
| 2007 | 0.05% | +6.5% |
| 2006 | 0.04% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 0.04% | -20.4% |
| 2004 | 0.05% | -14.7% |
| 2003 | 0.06% |
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