Korea vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP

Korea
4.9%
in 2023
United States of America
3.4%
in 2023
Korea rank
2nd
United States of America rank
5th

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP over time

  • Korea
  • United States of America
012345200020112023

How they compare

Korea currently reports 4.9% against 3.4% in United States of America, a difference of 1.5%.

That makes Korea's figure about 1.4 times United States of America's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 2000 it was United States of America ahead.

Korea ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 5th of 121 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Korea averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Korea United States of America Difference Ahead
2000s 2.5% 2.6% 0.1% United States of America
2010s 3.8% 2.8% 1.0% Korea
2020s 4.7% 3.5% 1.3% Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp, Korea or United States of America?
Korea, at 4.9% against 3.4% in United States of America as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp between Korea and United States of America?
1.5%, with Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Korea and United States of America?
24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
How do Korea and United States of America rank globally for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
Korea ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 5th of 121 countries.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Korea vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/korea-rep/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
143 places, 2,753 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed