US Edition
China surpasses US in research spending: OECD
China’s rapid gains in publications and patents come as U.S. research funding and foreign talent pipelines weaken, analysts say.
- China has reached parity with the United States in research spending, marking a historic shift in global scientific dominance according to a March 2026 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- While China previously spent little on research, the United States has seen federal investment decline from a peak of 1.86% of gross domestic product in 1964 to about 0.66% in 2021.
- Chinese entities filed roughly 1.8 million patent applications in 2024, significantly outpacing American entities, while China claimed a 17% advantage in selective scientific journals tracked by the Nature Index.
- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation estimates a 20% cut in federal research starting in fiscal year 2026 would shrink the United States economy by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.
- Under the Trump administration, government agencies have slowed research proposals and tightened access to foreign-born researchers, policies critics warn threaten the openness that historically made American science productive.
25 Articles
25 Articles
The Consequences of China Surpassing the US in Research Spending
Republished with permission from The Conversation, by Caroline Wagner, The Ohio State University China’s rapid rise in science has hit a milestone. The country’s investment in research and development has reached parity with—and by purchasing power measures has surpassed—that of the United States, according to a March 2026 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Both nations have crossed the US$1 trillion threshol…
The Conversation
China surpasses US in research spending – the consequences extend far beyond scientific ranking and clout
In a span of a few years, China has outstripped the U.S. in scientific publications, spending and patents. AP Photo/Andy WongChina’s rapid rise in science has hit a milestone. The country’s investment in research and development has reached parity with – and by purchasing power measures has surpassed – that of the United States, according to a March 2026 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Both nations have cr…
China Becomes Global #1 in R&D Spending - Futurist Keynote Speaker | Hope Engineer - Nikolas Badminton
This image for this article has been a mainstay in my keynotes for the past 4 years. The shuffling for global economic power and a likely state for the mid-2030s. Now we see that China has taken the #1 position from the US. At a conference 2 yrs ago a well-known economist said US innovates, China replicates and Germany regulates BUT now China takes the lead… New OECD data shows China’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D hit $1.03 trillion in 2024…
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