The figure of the week. Out of the 3,800 billion dollars invested worldwide in Research and Development (R&D) in 2024, OECD countries accounted for two-thirds.
According to the latest OECD estimates, global spending on Research and Development reached 3,800 billion dollars in 2024. Economically developed countries represented almost two-thirds of the amount (2,300 billion dollars), with 1,009 billion dollars for the United States and 611 billion dollars for the European Union, while China rose to 1,028 billion dollars.
The “intensity of R&D”, a key reference indicator measuring R&D expenses relative to GDP, remained at 2.7% worldwide in 2024, unchanged since 2020. Israel led by a wide margin, with an R&D intensity of 6.8%, followed by South Korea (5.1%), Taiwan (4.1%), Japan, and Sweden (3.6%), and the United States (3.5%).
In the European Union, the average stands at 2.1%, with rates of 3.1% in Germany, 2.2% in France, 1.5% in Spain, and 1.4% in Italy.
The growth in domestic experimental research and development expenditure (Dird) averaged 2.6% in OECD countries in 2024. They increased by over 5% in Japan and South Korea, by 3.4% in the United States, but only progressed by 0.4% in the European Union, even experiencing a decline of 0.4% in Germany.
Businesses were the main contributors to R&D expenses in the OECD area, representing 73% of Dird, compared to 67% in 2010. Public budget credits allocated to R&D (CBPRD) decreased by 4.1%, with a significant 8% drop seen in the energy and environment sector. However, they increased by 1.2% in defense, with notable increases of 17.9% in Japan and 11.5% in the European Union.
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