Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Italy

Italy: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP was 1.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
1.4%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
37th
of 121 countries
All-time high
1.5%
in 2020
All-time low
1.0%
in 2000
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Italy, 2000–2023

00.511.52000201120232000: 1 %2001: 1 %2002: 1.1 %2003: 1.1 %2004: 1 %2005: 1 %2006: 1.1 %2007: 1.1 %2008: 1.2 %2009: 1.2 %2010: 1.2 %2011: 1.2 %2012: 1.3 %2013: 1.3 %2014: 1.3 %2015: 1.3 %2016: 1.4 %2017: 1.4 %2018: 1.4 %2019: 1.5 %2020: 1.5 %2021: 1.4 %2022: 1.4 %2023: 1.4 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.

Analysis

Italy recorded 1.4% for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in 2023.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Italy peaked at 1.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2000.

Italy ranks 37th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%) in Italy, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 1.0%
2001 1.0% +3.6%
2002 1.1% +3.8%
2003 1.1% -2.0%
2004 1.0% -0.8%
2005 1.0% -0.6%
2006 1.1% +3.7%
2007 1.1% +4.2%
2008 1.2% +2.8%
2009 1.2% +4.9%
2010 1.2% +0.0%
2011 1.2% -1.5%
2012 1.3% +5.0%
2013 1.3% +3.1%
2014 1.3% +2.9%
2015 1.3% +0.0%
2016 1.4% +2.0%
2017 1.4% +0.4%
2018 1.4% +4.1%
2019 1.5% +2.6%
2020 1.5% +3.0%
2021 1.4% -5.9%
2022 1.4% -3.2%
2023 1.4% +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.1% 1.0% 1.2% 10
2010s 1.3% 1.2% 1.5% 10
2020s 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 34 Türkiye 1.4% compare
  2. 34 Türkiye 1.4% compare
  3. 36 Croatia 1.4% compare
  4. 38 Hungary 1.4% compare
  5. 39 Brazil 1.2% compare
  6. 40 Luxembourg 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More economy & growth data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Italy?
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Italy was 1.4% 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2000.
How does Italy rank for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
Italy ranks 37th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
Is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy 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.

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Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/research-and-development-expenditure-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%)
Unit
%
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