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Research and development expenditure in Spain

Spain: Research and development expenditure was 1.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
1.5%
Change on year
up 6.2%
World rank
30th
of 116 countries
All-time high
1.5%
in 2023
All-time low
0.8%
in 1997
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Research and development expenditure in Spain, 1996–2023

00.511.51996200920231996: 0.788 % of GDP1997: 0.778 % of GDP1998: 0.849 % of GDP1999: 0.839 % of GDP2000: 0.883 % of GDP2001: 0.888 % of GDP2002: 0.959 % of GDP2003: 1 % of GDP2004: 1 % of GDP2005: 1.1 % of GDP2006: 1.2 % of GDP2007: 1.2 % of GDP2008: 1.3 % of GDP2009: 1.4 % of GDP2010: 1.4 % of GDP2011: 1.3 % of GDP2012: 1.3 % of GDP2013: 1.3 % of GDP2014: 1.2 % of GDP2015: 1.2 % of GDP2016: 1.2 % of GDP2017: 1.2 % of GDP2018: 1.2 % of GDP2019: 1.2 % of GDP2020: 1.4 % of GDP2021: 1.4 % of GDP2022: 1.4 % of GDP2023: 1.5 % of GDP

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Spain recorded 1.5% for research and development expenditure in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in Spain peaked at 1.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1997.

Spain ranks 30th of 116 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 4
2000s 1.1% 0.9% 1.4% 10
2010s 1.3% 1.2% 1.4% 10
2020s 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 4

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 27 New Zealand 1.5% compare
  2. 28 United Arab Emirates 1.5% compare
  3. 29 Greece 1.5% compare
  4. 31 Turkey 1.4% compare
  5. 32 Croatia 1.4% compare
  6. 33 Italy 1.4% compare

See the full ranking of 147 places →

More science & technology data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is research and development expenditure in Spain?
Research and development expenditure in Spain was 1.5% in 2023, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest research and development expenditure recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2023.
What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1997.
How does Spain rank for research and development expenditure?
Spain ranks 30th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 3,092 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.