Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Iceland
Iceland: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP was 2.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.6%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
12th
of 106 countries
All-time high
2.9%
in 2006
All-time low
1.7%
in 2013
Years of data
21
2000–2023
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Iceland, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 2.6% for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in 2023.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 56.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Iceland peaked at 2.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2013.
Iceland ranks 12th of 106 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.6% | — |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +10.4% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | -29.6% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +14.4% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +12.7% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | +17.0% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | +11.9% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 7.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3036 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 29,848 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -107.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -93.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 11.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 4.69 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 461,476 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Iceland?
- Research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Iceland was 2.6% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2013.
- How does Iceland rank for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
- Iceland ranks 12th out of 106 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).