Korea, Rep.—R&D Spending (% of GDP)
Korea, Rep.'s R&D spending (% of GDP) was 5.21% in 2022, ranking #3 out of 114 countries. This represents a +6.1% change from 2021. Over the past 23 years, the highest recorded value was 5.21% (2022) and the lowest was 2.13% (2000). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.21% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 4.91% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 4.80% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 4.63% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 4.52% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 4.29% | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 3.99% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 3.98% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 4.08% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 3.95% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 3.85% | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 3.59% | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 3.32% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 3.15% | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 2.99% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 2.87% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 2.72% | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 2.52% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 2.44% | +7.2% |
| 2003 | 2.28% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 2.21% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 2.28% | +7.2% |
| 2000 | 2.13% |
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.