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