The American Five Year PlanThe frontierRow 21
Total R&D, share of GDP
3.4% (2024)4.5%
Anticipatory% of GDP
Why this row
The United States spent 3.4% of GDP on research and development in 2024, three quarters of it funded by business. Korea spent 4.94% and Israel 6.35% in 2023, and the National Science Board estimates that China passed the United States in 2024 as the world's largest performer of R&D. Research productivity is falling across the economy, so holding the rate of discovery takes more researchers every year. The row is anticipatory because firms deliver most of it once row 20 does its part.
The path
| 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.95 | 4.09 | 4.23 | 4.36 | 4.5 |
linear
Each July 4 the row shows its baseline, this path, the latest official value and a status of ahead, on schedule or behind. As an anticipatory row it reports the public decisions that delayed it.