R&D spending share of GDP in India

Spending on research and development in India was equal to 0.65% of GDP in 2020. The value for 2020 is the lowest since 1996.

Measure: Research and development expenditure (UNESCO) Unit: % of GDP Data: 1996 to 2020 Source: World Bank
The latest value for India is for 2020. Most countries have figures for 2023.
India, 2020 0.65% % of GDP
Change from 2019 −0.01percentage points 2019: 0.66%
World, 2020 2.46% Official aggregate
Median of G20 countries, 2020 1.43% Middle value of 18 countries

R&D spending share of GDP in India over time

View
Places
2 selected
India World ×

% of GDP. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.

Research and development expenditure (UNESCO) (% of GDP), 2000 to 2023
Period IndiaWorld
2023 – 2.60%
2022 – 2.57%
2021 – 2.52%
2020 0.65% 2.46%
2019 0.66% 2.26%
2018 0.66% 2.22%
2017 0.67% 2.14%
2016 0.67% 2.15%
2015 0.69% 2.10%
2014 0.70% 2.09%
2013 0.71% 1.98%
2012 0.74% 2.01%
2011 0.76% 1.98%
2010 0.79% 2.00%
2009 0.83% 2.01%
2008 0.86% 1.98%
2007 0.81% 1.92%
2006 0.80% 1.96%
2005 0.82% 1.95%
2004 0.76% 1.97%
2003 0.72% 2.02%
2002 0.73% 2.03%
2001 0.74% 2.06%
2000 0.76% 2.05%

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of −0.01 percentage points from 0.66% in 2019.
  • Since 2010, when it was 0.79%, the figure has changed by −0.14 percentage points.
  • The figure for the world in 2020 was 2.46%.

Source and dates

Original producer
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Distributed by
World Bank, World Development Indicators
Dataset or series code
GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS · dataset details · view at source
Observation period
1996 to 2020 for India
Provider update
8 October 2026
Retrieved
9 November 2026
Published here
9 November 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (per series metadata)
Attribution
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, original data: UNESCO Institute for Statistics