Switzerland—R&D Spending (% of GDP)
Switzerland's R&D spending (% of GDP) was 3.31% in 2021, ranking #9 out of 114 countries. This represents a +3.4% change from 2019. Over the past 8 years, the highest recorded value was 3.31% (2021) and the lowest was 2.26% (2000). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.31% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 3.20% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 3.08% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.08% | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 2.87% | +8.4% |
| 2008 | 2.65% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 2.61% | +15.2% |
| 2000 | 2.26% |
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.