Global ranking · 49 economies · World Bank data
R&D Spending by Country 2026
49 economies ranked by R&D spending (% of GDP), 2026. Israel leads at 6.3%; Sweden 3rd. Free World Bank data — cite & download.
TL;DR — Israel is the economy with the highest R&D spending (% of GDP) of the 49 ranked, at 6.3% (World Bank, 2023).
World Bank Open Data · UNESCO Institute for Statistics · World Bank Open Data · IMF World Economic Outlook | 49 entities | 1,050 words · 15 sections | data: CSV + JSON
Executive summary
This index ranks 49 of the world's largest economies by R&D spending (% of GDP), using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. Israel leads at 6.3% (2023); Mexico is lowest among those ranked at 0.3%. Sweden ranks 3rd of 49 at 3.6% (2023). As reference points, the EU stands at 2.3%, the OECD at 2.9% and the world at 2.6%. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Key findings
Israel tops the ranking
Israel has the highest R&D spending (% of GDP) among the 49 economies in this index at 6.3% (2023).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2023 · confidence: High
Where Sweden ranks
Sweden ranks 3rd of 49 at 3.6% (2023), above the OECD reference of 2.9%.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2023 · confidence: High
Top five
The five highest by R&D spending (% of GDP) are Israel (6.3%), South Korea (4.9%), Sweden (3.6%), United States (3.4%), Japan (3.4%).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2023 · confidence: High
Data vintage — August 2026
Figures reflect the most recent year available in the World Bank Open Data API for each economy (shown next to every value). This index of research and development spending by country regenerates automatically as new data is published.
Overview
Research-and-development spending, as a share of GDP, is the best single proxy for a country's innovation intensity. This index ranks countries by gross R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP (World Bank, compiled from UNESCO).
A small group of innovation leaders — Israel, South Korea, the Nordics, Switzerland, the US — spend 3% of GDP or more, while most economies invest far less, a gap that compounds into long-run productivity differences.
What drives the ranking
R&D intensity is driven by industrial structure (tech- and pharma-heavy economies spend more), the size of the business sector's research, and government and university funding. It is one of the most persistent predictors of long-run growth.
Sweden is consistently among the world's most research-intensive economies — a core part of its competitiveness story and a recurring theme in Affärslivet's coverage.
What the data reveals
The field is highly concentrated at the top: the leader, Israel, at 6.3% is about 4.1× the median of 1.5% across the 49 economies, and 1.28× the second-placed South Korea. In other words, R&D spending (% of GDP) is dominated by a handful of standouts.
Benchmarked against the OECD average of 2.9%, 11 of the 49 ranked economies (22%) come out higher, and 13 exceed the world figure of 2.6%. This shows how much of the distribution sits above the rich-world benchmark — a quick read on whether R&D spending (% of GDP) is broadly high or concentrated among a few.
What the data says about Sweden: at 3.6% it ranks 3rd of 49 — the top 10% — above the median of 1.5%. That places Sweden among the leaders of the field on R&D spending (% of GDP).
The spread is wide: the upper quartile of economies clusters around 2.7% and the lower quartile around 0.6%, while the leader Israel is 25.0× the lowest-ranked Mexico (0.3%). The quartile split is a cleaner read on typical R&D spending (% of GDP) than a simple average, which a few extreme values can distort.
Top 5 vs bottom 5
The five highest and five lowest economies on R&D spending (% of GDP) side by side — the clearest snapshot of the range across the 49 ranked economies.
| Top 5 | Value | Bottom 5 | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Israel | 6.3% | 45. Colombia | 0.3% |
| 2. South Korea | 4.9% | 46. Nigeria | 0.3% |
| 3. Sweden | 3.6% | 47. Indonesia | 0.3% |
| 4. United States | 3.4% | 48. Philippines | 0.3% |
| 5. Japan | 3.4% | 49. Mexico | 0.3% |
Limitations & notes
This ranking uses the latest year each economy reports to the World Bank; reporting lags differ, so some countries carry data a year or two older than others (see the year column in the full table). It measures R&D spending (% of GDP) as the source defines it — not its causes, quality, or wider welfare implications, and not any single 'best' outcome. Every figure is an official World Bank series, not an Affärslivet estimate; the complete dataset with per-country years and sources is free to download and reproduce below.
How it has changed over time
The chart tracks R&D spending (% of GDP) for Israel (the current leader) against Sweden over the past decade; the table below shows the top economies year by year.
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 6.2% | 6.3% |
| South Korea | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.9% |
| Sweden | 3.3% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.6% |
| United States | 2.8% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Japan | 3.1% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Belgium | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Austria | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Switzerland | — | 3.0% | — | 3.1% | — | 3.2% | — | 3.2% |
By region
Median R&D spending (% of GDP) by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.
| Region | Economies | Median | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 23 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 0.4% |
| Asia-Pacific | 12 | 1.3% | 4.9% | 0.3% |
| Americas | 7 | 0.6% | 3.4% | 0.3% |
| Middle East & Africa | 7 | 1.0% | 6.3% | 0.3% |
Biggest movers
The largest changes in R&D spending (% of GDP) over the available window — where the action has been.
| Country | Change | Δ | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 4.9% → 6.3% | +1.4% | 2018–2023 |
| South Korea | 4.3% → 4.9% | +0.7% | 2018–2023 |
| Iceland | 2.0% → 2.6% | +0.6% | 2018–2023 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.9% → 1.5% | +0.6% | 2015–2021 |
| Ireland | 1.1% → 1.6% | +0.5% | 2018–2023 |
| China | 2.1% → 2.6% | +0.5% | 2018–2023 |
| United States | 3.0% → 3.4% | +0.5% | 2018–2023 |
| Belgium | 2.9% → 3.3% | +0.4% | 2018–2023 |
Full ranking — 49 economies
Complete ranking by R&D spending (% of GDP), most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.
| # | Country | R&D Spending (% Of Gdp) | Region | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel | 6.3% | Middle East & Africa | 2023 |
| 2 | South Korea | 4.9% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 3 | Sweden | 3.6% | Europe | 2023 |
| 4 | United States | 3.4% | Americas | 2023 |
| 5 | Japan | 3.4% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 6 | Belgium | 3.3% | Europe | 2023 |
| 7 | Austria | 3.3% | Europe | 2023 |
| 8 | Switzerland | 3.2% | Europe | 2023 |
| 9 | Germany | 3.2% | Europe | 2023 |
| 10 | Finland | 3.1% | Europe | 2023 |
| 11 | Denmark | 3.0% | Europe | 2023 |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 2.7% | Europe | 2023 |
| 13 | Iceland | 2.6% | Europe | 2023 |
| 14 | China | 2.6% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 2.3% | Europe | 2023 |
| 16 | France | 2.2% | Europe | 2023 |
| 17 | Australia | 1.9% | Asia-Pacific | 2021 |
| 18 | Norway | 1.9% | Europe | 2023 |
| 19 | Czechia | 1.8% | Europe | 2023 |
| 20 | Singapore | 1.8% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 21 | Canada | 1.8% | Americas | 2024 |
| 22 | Portugal | 1.7% | Europe | 2023 |
| 23 | Ireland | 1.6% | Europe | 2023 |
| 24 | Poland | 1.6% | Europe | 2023 |
| 25 | New Zealand | 1.5% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 26 | United Arab Emirates | 1.5% | Middle East & Africa | 2021 |
| 27 | Greece | 1.5% | Europe | 2023 |
| 28 | Spain | 1.5% | Europe | 2023 |
| 29 | Turkiye | 1.4% | Middle East & Africa | 2023 |
| 30 | Italy | 1.4% | Europe | 2023 |
| 31 | Hungary | 1.4% | Europe | 2023 |
| 32 | Brazil | 1.2% | Americas | 2023 |
| 33 | Egypt | 1.0% | Middle East & Africa | 2024 |
| 34 | Malaysia | 1.0% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 35 | Russia | 0.9% | Europe | 2024 |
| 36 | Thailand | 0.9% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 37 | India | 0.6% | Asia-Pacific | 2020 |
| 38 | Saudi Arabia | 0.6% | Middle East & Africa | 2024 |
| 39 | South Africa | 0.6% | Middle East & Africa | 2022 |
| 40 | Argentina | 0.6% | Americas | 2023 |
| 41 | Romania | 0.5% | Europe | 2023 |
| 42 | Viet Nam | 0.4% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 43 | Chile | 0.4% | Americas | 2022 |
| 44 | Ukraine | 0.4% | Europe | 2024 |
| 45 | Colombia | 0.3% | Americas | 2020 |
| 46 | Nigeria | 0.3% | Middle East & Africa | 2019 |
| 47 | Indonesia | 0.3% | Asia-Pacific | 2020 |
| 48 | Philippines | 0.3% | Asia-Pacific | 2020 |
| 49 | Mexico | 0.3% | Americas | 2024 |
Scoreboard (machine-readable data)
Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 6.35 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| South Korea | 4.94 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Sweden | 3.6 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United States | 3.45 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Japan | 3.44 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Belgium | 3.27 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Austria | 3.26 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Switzerland | 3.22 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Germany | 3.15 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Finland | 3.09 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Denmark | 3.05 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Kingdom | 2.68 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Iceland | 2.64 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| China | 2.58 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Netherlands | 2.27 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| France | 2.18 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Australia | 1.86 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Norway | 1.85 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Czechia | 1.83 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Singapore | 1.81 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Canada | 1.79 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Portugal | 1.69 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ireland | 1.59 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Poland | 1.56 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| New Zealand | 1.55 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Arab Emirates | 1.49 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Greece | 1.49 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Spain | 1.49 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Turkiye | 1.42 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Italy | 1.38 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Hungary | 1.38 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Brazil | 1.19 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Egypt | 1.02 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Malaysia | 1.01 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Russia | 0.94 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Thailand | 0.94 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| India | 0.65 % | 2020 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Saudi Arabia | 0.64 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| South Africa | 0.61 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Argentina | 0.6 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Romania | 0.52 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Viet Nam | 0.41 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Chile | 0.39 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ukraine | 0.37 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Colombia | 0.29 % | 2020 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Nigeria | 0.28 % | 2019 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Indonesia | 0.28 % | 2020 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Philippines | 0.28 % | 2020 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Mexico | 0.25 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
Methodology & verification
Economies are ranked by R&D spending (% of GDP) using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. R&D data are often a year or two old and combine business, government and higher-education research; methodologies are harmonised but not identical across countries. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).
Data dictionary
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| metric | string | World Bank indicator code : country ISO3 |
| label | string | Country name |
| value | number | R&D spending (% of GDP) value |
| unit | string | % |
| period | string | Reference year |
| geography | string | Country |
| source_url | string | World Bank indicator page |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest R&D spending (% of GDP)?
Israel, at 6.3% (2023). Source: World Bank Open Data.
Where does Sweden rank by R&D spending (% of GDP)?
Sweden ranks 3rd of 49 at 3.6% (2023). Source: World Bank.
What are the top five by R&D spending (% of GDP)?
Israel (6.3%), South Korea (4.9%), Sweden (3.6%), United States (3.4%), Japan (3.4%). Source: World Bank.
How is R&D spending (% of GDP) defined?
R&D expenditure (% of GDP), as reported by the World Bank. See the methodology and glossary for details.
How many economies are ranked?
49 of the world's largest economies, plus the EU, OECD and World aggregates as reference points.
What is the caveat with this metric?
R&D data are often a year or two old and combine business, government and higher-education research; methodologies are harmonised but not identical across countries.
Where does the data come from?
The World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Every figure shows its reference year and links to its World Bank indicator page.
How current is it, and how often does it update?
Each figure is the latest year the World Bank reports for that economy. The index regenerates automatically as new data is released.
Can I download this ranking?
Yes — the full ranking is available as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.
Which countries rank in the top 5 of the R&D Spending by Country?
The top five are Israel, South Korea, Sweden, United States and Japan, based on the R&D Spending by Country (Affärslivet, 2026-08-19).
Where does Sweden rank in the R&D Spending by Country?
Sweden ranks #3 of 49 (3.6%) in the R&D Spending by Country, as of 2026-08-19. Source: Affärslivet.
How many countries are ranked in the R&D Spending by Country?
49 economies are included in the R&D Spending by Country (2026-08-19). Full data is free to download as CSV or JSON under CC BY 4.0.
Glossary
- R&D Spending (% Of Gdp)
- R&D expenditure (% of GDP) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗
- World Bank Open Data
- A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗
- Purchasing-power parity (PPP)
- A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗
- Nominal (current US$)
- A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗
- GNI per capita
- Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗
- Reference year
- The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗
- Region aggregate
- A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗
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APA
Affärslivet Research. (2026). R&D Spending by Country 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.1. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/rd-spending-by-country
MLA
Affärslivet Research. "R&D Spending by Country 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/rd-spending-by-country.
BibTeX
@techreport{affarslivet_rd_spending_by_country,
title = {R&D Spending by Country 2026},
author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
year = {2026},
note = {Version 1.1},
url = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/rd-spending-by-country}
} License CC BY 4.0 — free to cite, embed and republish with attribution to Affärslivet. Data also as CSV / JSON.