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Chart: The Global Leaders in R&D Spending, by Country and Company

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Chart: The Global Leaders in R&D Spending, by Country and Company

Chart: The Global Leaders in R&D Spending

The countries and firms that put the most into R&D

The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays.

Given a choice of being the disruptor or the disrupted, many would prefer to choose the former.

But it’s not as easy as just flipping a switch and subsequently reaping the benefits of a forward-looking vision, new product categories, and forthcoming patents. Instead, an organization has to proactively acquire this innovation and intellectual capital from somewhere.

For many established companies, there is no other choice but to buy innovative startups through M&A to get their innovation fix, though this typically comes at a marked up price. On the flipside, especially for companies in tech, auto, and pharmaceutical spaces, innovation likely has to be in the DNA of the company culture, managerial decisions, and any new talent hired.

Global Leaders in R&D Spending

For those companies that aim to innovate internally, money needs to go into the research and development (R&D) line of their income statement.

Today’s chart looks at the countries that put the most into R&D (in % of GDP terms, and absolute $ terms), as well as the companies that have spent the most on R&D in the last 12 months trailing.

It’s also worth noting that money put into R&D is like any other investment – the money can be used wisely or simply squandered into initiatives that don’t pay off. Despite this, R&D spending is a loose approximation for global innovation.

R&D by Country

Global R&D spending is heavily concentrated in the G20 countries. In total they account for 92% of all R&D spending, and 94% of all patents granted at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

Here is a breakdown of R&D spending by GDP of select G20 countries:

CountryR&D Spending (% GDP)
South Korea4.23%
Japan3.29%
Germany2.93%
United States2.79%
France2.22%
Australia2.11%
China2.07%
Canada1.71%
United Kingdom1.70%
Italy1.33%
Russia1.10%
Turkey0.88%
South Africa0.73%
Argentina0.63%
Mexico0.53%

By total dollar spend, however, massive economies like the United States, China, and the EU take their rightful place.

RankEconomyR&D Spending ($) in 2015
#1United States$463 billion
#2China$377 billion
#3European Union$346 billion
#4Japan$155 billion
#5South Korea$74 billion

R&D by Company

On a company basis, the top five R&D spenders today are mostly technology companies.

RankCompanyR&D Spending (Last 12 months)
#1Amazon$17.4 billion
#2Volkswagen$15.1 billion
#3Alphabet$14.5 billion
#4Intel$12.8 billion
#5Samsung$12.8 billion

Interestingly, that wasn’t always the case – even as short as 10 years ago, the largest R&D spenders tended to be pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, or automobile manufacturers like GM and Volkswagen.

A final note: Amazon doesn’t list R&D on its income statement directly, and instead classifies everything under a “Technology and Content” line which includes R&D. While it is likely Amazon is an R&D leader, there isn’t an exact number for it as of now.

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Mapped: Internet Download Speeds by Region

North America and East Asia have the speediest internet.

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Map illustrating median download speeds in each global region.

Mapped: Internet Download Speeds by Region

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

In today’s fast-paced world, internet speed isn’t just a convenience—it’s the driving force behind how we work, play, and connect.

In this map, we illustrate median download speeds in each global region, based on data from the World Bank’s Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023.

North America and East Asia Have the Speediest Internet

According to the World Bank, download speeds in high-income countries increased significantly between 2019 and 2023, while speeds in lower-income countries stagnated.

As of 2022, North America and East Asia have the speediest internet.

RegionMedian mobile download speed (Mb/sec)Median fixed broadband download speed (Mb/sec)
East Asia & Pacific90171
Europe & Central Asia4485
Latin America & the Caribbean2674
Middle East & North Africa3636
North America83193
South Asia2743
Sub-Saharan Africa1615

This difference in broadband speeds can mainly be attributed to investment.

In 2020, nearly 90% of global telecommunication investment came from East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and North America. These regions not only concentrate the highest-income population but also the top technology hubs.

Meanwhile, low- and middle-income regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for less than 10% of total investment.

Most of the investment is directed towards fiber optic and 5G mobile networks. According to the mobile industry association GSMA, mobile operators alone are projected to invest more than $600 billion between 2022 and 2025, with 85% of the total allocated for 5G.

In 2023, broadband speeds in high-income countries were 10x faster for fixed connections, and 5x faster for mobile connections compared to those in low-income countries.

Fixed broadband connections, which provide high-speed internet to residences or businesses, reached 38% of the population in high-income countries. In comparison, fixed broadband penetration was only 4% of the population in lower-middle-income countries and almost zero in low-income countries.

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