Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in United States of America

United States of America: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP was 3.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
3.4%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
5th
of 121 countries
All-time high
3.5%
in 2022
All-time low
2.5%
in 2004
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in United States of America, 2000–2023

01232000201120232000: 2.6 %2001: 2.6 %2002: 2.5 %2003: 2.6 %2004: 2.5 %2005: 2.5 %2006: 2.5 %2007: 2.6 %2008: 2.7 %2009: 2.8 %2010: 2.7 %2011: 2.7 %2012: 2.7 %2013: 2.7 %2014: 2.7 %2015: 2.8 %2016: 2.8 %2017: 2.9 %2018: 3 %2019: 3.1 %2020: 3.4 %2021: 3.5 %2022: 3.5 %2023: 3.4 %

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

Analysis

United States of America recorded 3.4% for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in 2023.

The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 27.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in United States of America peaked at 3.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2004.

That places United States of America 5th out of 121 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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 United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%) in United States of America, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 2.6%
2001 2.6% +0.7%
2002 2.5% -3.4%
2003 2.6% +0.1%
2004 2.5% -2.5%
2005 2.5% +0.6%
2006 2.5% +1.7%
2007 2.6% +2.7%
2008 2.7% +5.0%
2009 2.8% +1.7%
2010 2.7% -2.8%
2011 2.7% +0.9%
2012 2.7% -2.4%
2013 2.7% +0.9%
2014 2.7% +0.5%
2015 2.8% +2.4%
2016 2.8% +2.3%
2017 2.9% +1.6%
2018 3.0% +3.7%
2019 3.1% +5.1%
2020 3.4% +8.7%
2021 3.5% +1.5%
2022 3.5% +0.5%
2023 3.4% -1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.6% 2.5% 2.8% 10
2010s 2.8% 2.7% 3.1% 10
2020s 3.5% 3.4% 3.5% 4

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 2 Republic of Korea 4.9% compare
  2. 2 Korea 4.9% compare
  3. 4 Sweden 3.6% compare
  4. 6 Japan 3.4% compare
  5. 7 Belgium 3.3% compare
  6. 8 Austria 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More economy & growth data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in United States of America?
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in United States of America was 3.4% 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 United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 2022.
What is the lowest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2004.
How does United States of America rank for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
United States of America ranks 5th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
Is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America 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 United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/research-and-development-expenditure-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/united-states/

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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