UK R&D spending compared with other countries
OECD figures put the UK's R&D spending at 2.8% of GDP in 2023, the 12th-highest of the 35 OECD countries with a figure for that year. The range ran from 0.3% of GDP in Costa Rica to 7.0% of GDP in Israel. The simple average across the 35 was 2.3% of GDP, a difference of 0.5 percentage points from the UK's figure.
No 2023 figure yet for Chile, Colombia and Mexico.
The UK over ten years
From 2014 to 2023 the UK's figure was highest in 2020 (2.9% of GDP) and lowest in 2014 (2.2% of GDP).
The UK's figure was higher than the average in every year from 2014 to 2023.
In 2014 the UK ranked 13th of the 35 countries with a figure; in 2023 it ranked 12th of 35.
Two countries had a higher figure than the UK in 2014 and a lower one in 2023: France and Slovenia.
How the OECD measures it
The OECD's gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) is all R&D carried out within a country in a year by businesses, government, universities and non-profit bodies, whoever pays for it, measured under the OECD's Frascati Manual. It is shown as a share of GDP.
Countries compared: The 38 member countries of the OECD. The table uses the latest year for which the UK and at least three-quarters of the countries the OECD covers have a figure, so every value is for the same period.
Why this differs from the UK's own figures
The ONS publishes UK gross domestic expenditure on research and development each year, and the OECD's UK figure is based on it. In 2022 the ONS changed how it measures business R&D, which raised its estimates of business spending considerably; the OECD's series uses the revised ONS figures, so older published UK figures are lower than those shown here.
Sources and receipts
Every value on this page was read from these addresses. The SHA-256 is the fingerprint of the file as downloaded, so a later change at the source can be detected.
- https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/data/OECD.STI.STP,DSD_MSTI@DF_MSTI,1.3/.A.G.PT_B1GQ._Z._Z?startPeriod=201…
OECD, Main Science and Technology Indicators · read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
01f78392b66da368… - OECD: Main Science and Technology IndicatorsThe publisher's page for this data, indicator G.
Common questions
Where does the UK rank for R&D spending in OECD countries?
OECD figures for 2023 put the UK 12th of 35, counting from the highest, at 2.8% of GDP.
Which OECD country has the highest R&D spending?
Israel, at 7.0% of GDP in 2023 (OECD).
Which OECD country has the lowest R&D spending?
Costa Rica, at 0.3% of GDP in 2023 (OECD).
What is the OECD average R&D spending?
The simple average of the 35 countries with figures for 2023 is 2.3% of GDP. The UK's figure is 2.8% of GDP.
How has the UK's R&D spending changed since 2014?
OECD figures give 2.2% of GDP for 2014 and 2.8% of GDP for 2023; the ten-year chart above shows the years in between.
Is this the same as the UK's official figure?
The ONS publishes UK gross domestic expenditure on research and development each year, and the OECD's UK figure is based on it. In 2022 the ONS changed how it measures business R&D, which raised its estimates of business spending considerably; the OECD's series uses the revised ONS figures, so older published UK figures are lower than those shown here.
More comparisons
- UK national debt compared with other countries
- UK GDP per head compared with other countries
- UK government spending compared with other countries
- UK tax revenue compared with other countries
- UK life expectancy compared with other countries
- UK health spending compared with other countries
Compare any two countries on GDP, inflation, unemployment, debt and life expectancy: country comparison tool.
These pages state each body's figures and the UK's position among them. They give no view on whether a figure is high or low. To report an error, send a correction request.