China Surpasses US in R&D Spending, Threatening American Scientific Leadership
According to a report by the OECD in March 2026, China's investment in research and development has not only matched but also exceeded that of the US. Both countries have invested over US$1 trillion in R&D. Notable milestones include China outpacing the US in the number of top 1% most-cited papers in 2019, leading in overall most-cited papers by 2022, and surpassing the US in total scientific publications by 2024. In that same year, Chinese organizations submitted 1.8 million patent applications, while the US filed 603,191. The US has seen a decline in basic science funding, with federal R&D spending peaking at $160 billion in 2010 and falling to 0.66% of GDP by 2021. Caroline Wagner cautions that such disinvestment threatens scientific capacity and could lead to significant economic consequences from a 20% reduction in federal R&D.
Key facts
- China's R&D spending has reached parity with and by purchasing power surpassed the US, per a March 2026 OECD report.
- Both nations have crossed the US$1 trillion threshold in research spending.
- China surpassed the US in top 1% most-cited papers in 2019.
- China overtook the US in total scientific publications in 2024, the first time since the US surpassed the UK in 1948.
- China posted a 17% advantage over the US in the Nature Index in 2024.
- Chinese entities filed about 1.8 million patent applications in 2024, compared to the US's 603,191.
- US federal R&D spending peaked in 2010 at $160 billion and fell over 15% in five years.
- Federal investment in R&D dropped from 1.86% of GDP in 1964 to 0.66% in 2021.
- The federal government funded 40% of basic research in 2022; industry performed 78% of US R&D.
- Under the second Trump administration, science agencies are slow-walking proposals and budget cuts threaten deeper reductions.
- The US has restricted scientific exchange, tightening access and scrutinizing international collaborations.
- Caroline Wagner of The Ohio State University warns of the stockyard paradox: securing research assets may weaken the system.
- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation estimates a 20% cut in federal R&D starting in fiscal 2026 would shrink the US economy by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years and reduce tax revenue by $250 billion.
Entities
Institutions
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- The Ohio State University
- National Science Foundation
- Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
- The Conversation
- Naked Capitalism
Locations
- China
- United States
- Boston
- Beijing
- Europe