SDG Indicator 9.5.1
Research and Development (R&D) spending
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 9.5.1 is “research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator measures expenditure on research and development (R&D) activities as a percentage of total gross domestic product (GDP) of a given country.
Expenditures for research and development are current and capital expenditures (both public and private) on creative work undertaken systematically to increase knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture, and society, and the use of knowledge for new applications. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “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.”