Countries With the Fastest Growth in R&D expenditure share of GDP (5-Year Change)
Change in R&D expenditure share of GDP over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Israel rose the most: by 1.43 pts, from 4.92% of GDP to 6.35% of GDP in the five years to 2023. Korea, Rep. is second (+0.672 pts), followed by Iceland (+0.639 pts). 55 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +0.122 pts.
- #1
- Israel · +1.43 pts
- Median
- +0.122 pts
- Coverage
- 55 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel | 4.92 | 6.35 | +1.43 pts |
| 2 | Korea, Rep. | 4.27 | 4.94 | +0.672 pts |
| 3 | Iceland | 2 | 2.64 | +0.639 pts |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 0.932 | 1.49 | +0.563 pts |
| 5 | Ireland | 1.08 | 1.59 | +0.506 pts |
| 6 | China | 2.1 | 2.58 | +0.475 pts |
| 7 | United States | 2.99 | 3.45 | +0.458 pts |
| 8 | Estonia | 1.38 | 1.84 | +0.456 pts |
| 9 | Croatia | 0.946 | 1.39 | +0.44 pts |
| 10 | Belgium | 2.86 | 3.27 | +0.409 pts |
| 11 | Poland | 1.19 | 1.56 | +0.361 pts |
| 12 | Portugal | 1.35 | 1.69 | +0.344 pts |
| 13 | Finland | 2.78 | 3.09 | +0.318 pts |
| 14 | Greece | 1.21 | 1.49 | +0.288 pts |
| 15 | Spain | 1.23 | 1.49 | +0.261 pts |
| 16 | Sweden | 3.35 | 3.6 | +0.254 pts |
| 17 | Japan | 3.22 | 3.44 | +0.222 pts |
| 18 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.796 | 1.02 | +0.221 pts |
| 19 | Slovak Republic | 0.832 | 1.03 | +0.202 pts |
| 20 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 0.926 | 1.13 | +0.2 pts |
| 21 | Uruguay | 0.505 | 0.702 | +0.197 pts |
| 22 | Slovenia | 1.96 | 2.13 | +0.17 pts |
| 23 | Netherlands | 2.1 | 2.27 | +0.164 pts |
| 24 | Latvia | 0.661 | 0.824 | +0.162 pts |
| 25 | Türkiye | 1.27 | 1.42 | +0.151 pts |
| 26 | Austria | 3.11 | 3.26 | +0.147 pts |
| 27 | Tunisia | 0.62 | 0.747 | +0.127 pts |
| 28 | Lithuania | 0.928 | 1.05 | +0.122 pts |
| 29 | Philippines | 0.157 | 0.276 | +0.119 pts |
| 30 | Oman | 0.273 | 0.39 | +0.117 pts |
| 31 | Argentina | 0.488 | 0.601 | +0.113 pts |
| 32 | Armenia | 0.179 | 0.286 | +0.108 pts |
| 33 | Germany | 3.05 | 3.15 | +0.103 pts |
| 34 | Malta | 0.546 | 0.648 | +0.102 pts |
| 35 | Serbia | 0.848 | 0.94 | +0.092 pts |
| 36 | Cyprus | 0.61 | 0.681 | +0.071 pts |
| 37 | Denmark | 2.98 | 3.05 | +0.069 pts |
| 38 | Macao SAR, China | 0.247 | 0.311 | +0.064 pts |
| 39 | Panama | 0.136 | 0.197 | +0.061 pts |
| 40 | Peru | 0.127 | 0.176 | +0.049 pts |
| 41 | Kazakhstan | 0.118 | 0.162 | +0.044 pts |
| 42 | Brazil | 1.15 | 1.19 | +0.044 pts |
| 43 | Bulgaria | 0.755 | 0.792 | +0.037 pts |
| 44 | Chile | 0.357 | 0.392 | +0.035 pts |
| 45 | Canada | 1.76 | 1.79 | +0.035 pts |
| 46 | Bermuda | 0.195 | 0.225 | +0.03 pts |
| 47 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.19 | 0.214 | +0.024 pts |
| 48 | Romania | 0.497 | 0.517 | +0.02 pts |
| 49 | Turkmenistan | 0.08 | 0.09 | +0.01 pts |
| 50 | Belarus | 0.577 | 0.587 | +0.0099 pts |
| 51 | Azerbaijan | 0.2 | 0.208 | +0.0076 pts |
| 52 | North Macedonia | 0.368 | 0.374 | +0.0058 pts |
| 53 | Iraq | 0.037 | 0.041 | +0.0033 pts |
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 0.101 | 0.104 | +0.0029 pts |
| 55 | Montenegro | 0.363 | 0.363 | +0.0001 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Israel
Israel ranks #1 on this list with +1.43 pts.
- Capital
- Jerusalem
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 10.12 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$610.78 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$60,337 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 91.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Jerusalem.
Also ranks #1 in r&d expenditure share of gdp · #1 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in irrigated land share.
#2 Korea, Rep.
Korea, Rep. ranks #2 on this list with +0.672 pts.
- Capital
- Seoul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 51.69 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.87 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$36,227 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 81.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Seoul, Busan, Incheon.
Also ranks #1 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #2 in atms per 100,000 adults · #2 in researchers in r&d per million.
#3 Iceland
Iceland ranks #3 on this list with +0.639 pts.
- Capital
- Reykjavík
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 392,400 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$38.58 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$98,323 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 94.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in energy use per capita · #1 in bank accounts share (adults) · #1 in water resources per capita.
#4 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates ranks #4 on this list with +0.563 pts.
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$552.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$50,274 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 86% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
Also ranks #1 in population growth rate · #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share.
#5 Ireland
Ireland ranks #5 on this list with +0.506 pts.
- Capital
- Dublin
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.48 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$721.7 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$131,590 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in gdp per capita ppp · #3 in air passengers carried · #3 in manufacturing value added share of gdp.
#6 China
China ranks #6 on this list with +0.475 pts.
- Capital
- Beijing
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.41 billion people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.5 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$13,862 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 66.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing.
Also ranks #1 in urban population · #1 in gdp ppp · #1 in labour force size.
#7 United States
United States ranks #7 on this list with +0.458 pts.
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 341.78 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$30.77 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$90,027 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 80.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: New York metropolitan area, New York City, Chicago.
Also ranks #1 in gdp (current us$) · #1 in health expenditure per capita · #1 in imports of goods and services.
#8 Estonia
Estonia ranks #8 on this list with +0.456 pts.
- Capital
- Tallinn
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 1.37 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$47.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$34,418 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 79.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in account ownership (female) share · #8 in bank accounts share (adults) · #12 in human capital index.
#9 Croatia
Croatia ranks #9 on this list with +0.44 pts.
- Capital
- Zagreb
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 3.88 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$105.06 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$27,104 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 57.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #10 in population ages 65+ share · #10 in death rate · #11 in age dependency ratio (old).
#10 Belgium
Belgium ranks #10 on this list with +0.409 pts.
- Capital
- Brussels
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.94 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$725.47 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$60,750 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in school enrolment (secondary) · #4 in access to clean cooking fuels · #6 in gender parity index (school enrolment).
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in R&D expenditure share of GDP over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP): Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.