Some R&D Numbers
Earlier this fall the National Science Foundation’s Division of Science Resources Studies issued a data brief with some interesting numbers on R&D spending in the United States. Selections from this data brief by Steven Payson follow. The full report, “R&D as a Percentage of GDP Continues Upward Climb”(NSF 99-357) may be read at the following site: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/ Figures, as necessary, have been adjusted for inflation.
WHAT ALL SECTORS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SPENDING ON R&D:
$247.0 billion: projected total 1999 R&D expenditures
THE INCREASE IN TOTAL R&D SPENDING:
6.8%: average rate of annual increase in total R&D expenditures from 1980 to 1985
2.1%: average rate of annual increase in total R&D expenditures from 1985 to 1990
1.0%: average rate of annual increase in total R&D expenditures from 1990 to 1995
6.1%: average rate of annual increase in total R&D expenditures from 1995 to 1999
7.2%: rate of increase in total R&D expenditures from 1998 to 1999
HOW R&D SPENDING COMPARES TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP):
2.79%: R&D as a share of the 1999 GDP, the highest percentage since 1967
2.67%: R&D as a share of the 1998 GDP
2.61%: R&D as a share of the 1997 GDP
2.87%: Highest R&D/GDP ratio in American history, in 1953
HOW R&D FUNDING IS SPENT:
16.3%: share of projected 1999 R&D for basic research
22.9%: share of projected 1999 R&D for applied research
60.9%: share of projected 1999 R&D for development
WHO SUPPORTED R&D IN 1999:
68.5%: share supported by industry
26.7%: share supported by federal government, lowest since 1953 when data was collected
