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Metadata Glossary

CodeGB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS
Indicator NameResearch and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Long definitionGloss domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
SourceUNESCO Institute for Statistics
TopicInfrastructure: Technology
PeriodicityAnnual
Aggregation methodWeighted average
Limitations and exceptionsEstimates of the resources allocated to R&D are affected by national characteristics such as the periodicity and coverage of national R&D surveys across institutional sectors and industries; and the use of different sampling and estimation methods. R&D typically involves a few large performers, hence R&D surveys use various techniques to maintain up-to-date registers of known performers, while attempting to identify new or occasional performers. R&D totals from SNA accounts may differ from these estimates, due in part to the different treatments of software R&D in the totals.
General commentsEach economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).
License TypeCC BY-4.0
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