This is a list of countries by research and development (R&D) spending in real terms, based on data published by the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
According to the World Bank: âÂÂGross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D) 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.âÂÂ
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: âÂÂResearch and development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the total intramural expenditure on research and experimental development (R&D) performed in the national territory during a specific reference period expressed as a percentage of national gross domestic product (GDP).âÂÂ
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: âÂÂGross domestic spending on R&D is defined as the total expenditure (current and capital) on R&D carried out by all resident companies, research institutes, universities and government laboratories, etc., in a country. It includes R&D funded from abroad, but excludes domestic funds for R&D performed outside the domestic economy.âÂÂ
The following table provides information on R&D spending, based on data published by the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The indicator is measured in USD constant prices using the 2015 base year and purchasing power parities (PPPs) by OECD and as percentage of GDP. As of 2022, Israel leads the world in R&D spending as a percentage of GDP, followed by South Korea, the United States, Japan, Belgium and Sweden.