R&D (SDG 9.5) Data Release - February 2025: Highlights

SDG 9.5 on Research and development (R&D):

The UIS, as the custodian agency, collects data and produces two key indicators to monitor progress towards SDG target 9.5:  i) SDG 9.5.1: Research and development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of GDP, and ii) SDG 9.5.2: Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants. In addition, it produces a set of selected gender-disaggregated R&D indicators that contribute to cross-cutting themes related to SDG 5 on gender equality.

The current R&D data releaseincludes the most recent country-level data for 42 countries for these indicators. The new/updated data are based on the UIS 2024 R&D Statistics Survey, and new statistics obtained from partners such as the Ibero-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators (RICYT). The release also features updated time series data and regional averages.

  • SDG 9.5.1: Research and development (R&D) expenditure as a proportion of GDP

According to the latest data, the global proportion of GDP invested in R&D increased from 1.72% to 1.95% between 2015 and 2022, with notable fluctuations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the share peaked at 1.94%, before decliningslightly to 1.92% in 2021 and stabilizing at 1.95% in 2022. Regional trends (Figure 1) show that Europe and Northern America, and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia continued to invest heavily in R&D, rising from 2.26% to 2.59%, and from 2.05% to 2.43%, respectively. Northern Africa and Western Asia also experienced a notable rise, from 0.80% to 1.05%. Meanwhile, other developing regions,including Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Southern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa experienceddeclines or stagnation, reflecting growing global disparities in R&D spending.

  • SDG 9.5.2: Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants

Between 2015 and 2022, the global number of researchers per million inhabitants increased from 1,137 to 1,420 (Figure 2). Europe and Northern America, along with Australia and New Zealand, remained the leaders in researcher density, with Europe and Northern America increasing from 3,513 to 4,254 researchers per million inhabitants. Australia and New Zealand saw a slight decline from 4,952 to 4,809. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, as well as Northern Africa and Western Asia, experienced significant increases, rising from 1,393 to 1,931 and from 788 to 1,090, respectively. Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Southern Asia showed modest gains, while Sub-Saharan Africa has been hovering at around91 researchers per million.

  • Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers

In 2022, women represented only 31.1% of global researchers. Regionally, Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest proportions, at 46.5% and 45.3%, respectively, followed by Northern Africa (43.2%) and South-Eastern Asia (41.3%). In Western Asia (35.8%), Europe and North America (35.2%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (33.4%), around one in three researchers were women, surpassing the global average. In contrast, Southern Asia (26.9%) and Eastern Asia (23.5%) lagged behind. Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean appeared to have achieved gender parity, while other regions such as Northern Africa, and South-Eastern Asia showing progresstowards this. Over the past decade (2012-2022), global female participation in research only grew from 29.4% to 31.1% (Figure 3).

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Figure 1: R&D expenditure as a proportion of GDP, 2015 – 2022

Figure 2: Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants, 2015 and 2022

Figure 3: Women as a share of total researchers by regions, 2012 and 2022

Notes: Data in this graph are based on headcounts – HC measurements (that is total number of researchers who are mainly or partially engaged in R&D).

Read more in the Background document.

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