Investment in research and development (R&D) – activities to generate new knowledge and create new technology – is a cornerstone input for innovation. This report provides an update of major global trends in R&D and related innovation metrics, considering continuing Congressional interest in U.S. competitiveness.
This report relies primarily on new data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), released in late March 2023. For certain topics, the OECD data is supplemented with data from other sources.
Bottom Line: The U.S.’s public R&D investments continue to stagnate, while others invest heavily. The U.S. is still tentatively the biggest R&D spender in the world, but 13th in public R&D intensity, 5th in private spending intensity and 10th in basic research intensity. For the first time, the U.S. does not produce the largest share of publications, with China claiming the number one spot as well as keeping its position as the largest share of patents granted. In terms of the research workforce, the U.S. has the 3rd largest workforce but is 18th in researchers as a share of the total workforce.
For the first time, the U.S. does not produce the largest share of publications, with China claiming the number one spot as well as keeping its position as the largest share of patents granted.
In terms of the research workforce, the U.S. has the 3rd largest workforce but is 18th in researchers as a share of the total workforce.
