El Salvador R&D Spending
Research and development expenditure as % of GDP GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS
El Salvador's r&d spending was 0.13% in 2025, ranked 71st globally. This represents a 6.9% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1998–2025.
Overview
El Salvador's r&d spending stood at 0.13% in 2025, a decline of +0.01% from 2022. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.13% by 2025. El Salvador ranked 71st globally.
El Salvador’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) has remained modest, standing at 0.13 percent of GDP in 2025, which places the country 71st in the world. The indicator has shown limited volatility over the 18‑year series, rising from a low of 0.09 percent in 1998 to a brief peak of 0.18 percent in 2017 before falling sharply to a trough of 0.03 percent in 2012. Since that trough, spending has gradually recovered but has not approached the 2017 high, hovering around the same level as peer Pakistan (0.14 percent) and slightly above Paraguay (0.12 percent). The persistence of low R&D intensity reflects structural constraints such as limited private sector investment and a small high‑technology base. Strengthening university‑industry linkages, expanding fiscal incentives for innovation and attracting foreign‑direct investment in knowledge‑intensive sectors could lift the trajectory and narrow the gap with regional peers.
Data & projection
| Year | R&D Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* trend | 0.13% | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.13% | −0.01% | #71 |
| 2022 | 0.14% | −0.02% | #67 |
| 2021 | 0.16% | −0.00% | #74 |
| 2020 | 0.16% | −0.01% | #75 |
| 2019 | 0.17% | +0.01% | #79 |
| 2018 | 0.17% | −0.02% | #76 |
| 2017 | 0.18% | +0.04% | #77 |
| 2016 | 0.14% | +0.00% | #77 |
| 2015 | 0.14% | +0.05% | #86 |
| 2014 | 0.09% | +0.03% | #84 |
| 2013 | 0.06% | +0.03% | #90 |
| 2012 | 0.03% | −0.00% | #86 |
| 2011 | 0.04% | −0.04% | #90 |
| 2010 | 0.08% | −0.01% | #88 |
| 2009 | 0.09% | −0.04% | #84 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
El Salvador matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 1989. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw r&d spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
El Salvador's r&d spending was 0.13% in 2025. Ranked 71st globally. This represents a 6.9% decrease from the previous year.
El Salvador's r&d spending peaked at 0.18% in 2017.
The lowest r&d spending in El Salvador was 0.03% in 2012.
El Salvador ranks 71st globally in r&d spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
El Salvador's r&d spending is projected to reach 0.13% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The r&d spending of El Salvador in 2025 was 0.13%. This ranks 71st in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_el-salvador_rd-spending,
title = {El Salvador R&D Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/el-salvador/rd-spending/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}