Top 10 countries who invested most in R&D: Research and Development (R&D) continues to be the heartbeat of global innovation, an essential driver of technological and economic progress. While many nations still face hurdles in funding their innovation frameworks, the latest figures offer reason for optimism. Innovation is not slowing down, it’s surging forward.Even after weathering three economic crises, a global pandemic, and persistent geopolitical unrest, worldwide R&D spending—adjusted for inflation—has almost tripled. It jumped from about USD 1 trillion in 2000 to over USD 2.75 trillion in 2023.What’s even more telling is R&D’s growing slice of the global economy. Though the world’s GDP has soared since the turn of the millennium, the share of R&D has also risen—from just under 1.5 per cent to nearly 2 per cent of GDP. Given the global GDP of around USD 200 trillion in 2023, that half-percentage-point increase represents a staggering USD 1 trillion more in R&D investment.There’s also been a significant rebalancing in where this money is being spent. Asia’s share of global R&D has surged from 25 per cent in 2000 to 46 per cent in 2023. The Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania (SEAO) region has emerged as the world’s top spender, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of global R&D, with countries like China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand leading the charge. Interestingly, Japan is the only major player in the region where R&D spending has been trending downward.In 2000, Northern America, primarily the US and Canada, dominated the R&D landscape. Today, it contributes 29 per cent, followed by Europe at 21 per cent, and Central and Southern Asia at 3 per cent, the latter led by a rapidly advancing India.China’s meteoric rise is perhaps the biggest headline of all. In 2000, it accounted for a modest 4 per cent of global R&D spending. Fast forward to 2023, and that figure now stands at 26 per cent, radically reshaping the global innovation map. This has also led to a notable shift in the income demographics of R&D spending: high-income economies’ share dropped from 87 per cent in 2000 to 63 per cent in 2023. Without China, the upper-middle-income countries have remained flat at 6 per cent, while lower-middle-income economies, led by India, Egypt, and Viet Nam, have grown their slice from 3 to 5 per cent. This chart includes all African economies classified under the UN regions of Northern Africa and Western AsiaOn a country level, aside from China, the biggest climbers in global R&D share include the Republic of Korea, Türkiye, India, Egypt, Thailand, Poland, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Meanwhile, countries like the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Sweden, and the Netherlands have seen their global share shrink.Story continues below this adThe list of the world’s top 15 R&D spenders has become more diverse. Middle-income countries such as China, India, Türkiye, Brazil, and Russia are now key players. If we group the European Union as one entity, Egypt would also make this elite group, highlighting just how much the R&D landscape has evolved. Within the EU, Germany leads (USD 132 billion), followed by France (USD 65 billion), Italy (USD 32 billion), Spain (USD 27 billion), and the Netherlands (USD 23 billion).Also Read | Top 10 countries where kids are the happiest: Netherlands, Denmark lead in global happiness rankingsIn many parts of the world, the private sector is now the engine behind R&D spending. Israel stands out, with a whopping 92 per cent of its R&D coming from the private sector, followed closely by Viet Nam (90 per cent), Ireland (80 per cent), and both Japan and Korea at 79 per cent. Other economies where private enterprises play a dominant role include the US, China, Singapore, Thailand, Türkiye, Canada, and Australia, all reporting private-sector contributions exceeding 50 per cent.On the other hand, some countries are still highly dependent on public investment in R&D. In Kenya (16 per cent), Rwanda (5.8 per cent), and Egypt (2.7 per cent), the private sector’s role in R&D is minimal.Top 10 countries that invested most in R&D