Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP

Sub-categories

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Headline data

US research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
Year Value
1981 2.27
1982 2.43
1983 2.49
1984 2.55
1985 2.66
1986 2.63
1987 2.61
1988 2.56
1989 2.52
1990 2.56
1991 2.62
1992 2.54
1993 2.42
1994 2.33
1995 2.41
1996 2.45
1997 2.48
1998 2.5
1999 2.54
2000 2.62
2001 2.64
2002 2.55
2003 2.55
2004 2.49
2005 2.5
2006 2.55
2007 2.62
2008 2.74
2009 2.79
2010 2.71
2011 2.74
2012 2.67
2013 2.7
2014 2.71
2015 2.77
2016 2.84
2017 2.88
2018 2.99
2019 3.15
2020 3.42
2021 3.48
2022 3.59

Source:

Geographical Area:

Unit of Measurement:

Footnote:

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from United States statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from American statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other American-specific metadata information.

Indicator

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
Organisation

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
Definition and concepts

This indicator measures a nation’s gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
Unit of measure

percent
Data sources

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Patterns of R&D Resources (annual series) adjusted for international comparability and reported in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Main Science and Technology Indicators.
Data providers

Gary Anderson, Steven Deitz
Comment and limitations

This indicator is widely used around the world as a comparative metric for national R&D intensity. The data uploaded here (as of July 2024) are the internationally comparable version of this metric, which differs slightly from the R&D/GDP value calculated for the NCSES National Patterns of R&D Resources publication.
Method of computation

Data on national R&D expenditures (dollars) divided by data on gross domestic product (dollars)
Periodicity

Annual
Date metadata updated

2024-07-24
Disaggregation geography

Some disaggregation of the indicator by U.S. geographic regions (mainly, states) is available.
Disaggregation categories

Some disaggregation of the indicator is available by R&D performers and sources of R&D funding.
Time period

U.S. data for this indicator is available for 1953 to present. The most recent years available in published data are 2021 (preliminary) and 2022 (estimated).

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator

Indicator 9.5.1: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
Target

Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
Organisation

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Definition and concepts

Definitions:

Research and experimental development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the amount of Research and experimental development (R&D) expenditure divided by the total output of the economy.

Concepts:

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Frascati Manual (OECD, 2015) provides the relevant definitions for research and experimental development (R&D), gross domestic expenditure on research and experimental development (R&D) and researchers. Although an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) manual, the application is global. During the 6th revision of the Frascati Manual, developing country issues were mainstreamed in the core of the Manual. The 7th edition was released in October 2015.

The following definitions, taken from the 2015 edition of the Frascati Manual are relevant for computing the indicator.

Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

Expenditures on intramural research and experimental development (R&D) represent the amount of money spent on research and experimental development (R&D) that is performed within a reporting unit.
Unit of measure

Percent (%): proportion of GDP
Data sources

Data are collected through national research and experimental development (R&D) surveys, either by the national statistical office or a line ministry (such as the Ministry for Science and Technology).
Data providers

Data are collected through national research and experimental development (R&D) surveys, either by the national statistical office or a line ministry (such as the Ministry for Science and Technology).
Comment and limitations

Research and experimental development (R&D) data need to be collected through surveys, which are expensive, and are not done on a regular basis in many developing countries. Furthermore, (developing) countries do not always cover all sectors of performance. In particular the business sector is not always covered.
Method of computation

Computation of the indicator Research and experimental development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is self-explanatory, using readily available GDP data as denominator.

Research and experimental development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of GDP (R&DIntensity) is calculated as:

R & D I n t e n s i t y = T h e   t o t a l   i n t r a m u r a l   e x p e n d i t u r e   o n   R & D G D P × 100

Metadata update

2024-07-29
International organisations(s) responsible for global monitoring

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Related indicators

Linkages with goals and targets: 2a, 3b, 12a, 14a, 17.6, 17.7

Linkages with indicators: 3.b.2 Total net official development assistance to medical research and basic health sectors; 14.a.1 Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology
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