Arya News - Japan’s spending rose 8.4 % year-on-year to ¥22.1 trillion, maintaining its third-place ranking from the previous year.
TOKYO – An analysis on research and development spending in major countries in 2024 found that China surpassed the United States for the first time to take the top spot, with Japan ranking third, according to the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTP).
According to the “Japanese Science and Technology Indicators 2026” compiled by the NISTP, under the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, total research and development spending by governments, companies, universities and other entities in China reached ¥97.1 trillion, a 13.1 % increase from the previous year. This marked the first time that China surpassed the United States (at ¥95.3 trillion, up 6.7 % from the previous year), which had held the top spot since the 1980s.
Japan’s spending rose 8.4 % year-on-year to ¥22.1 trillion, maintaining its third-place ranking from the previous year.
The institute also compiled country rankings for top 10% research papers — meaning the number of citations in other research papers ranked in the top 10% of their respective fields. China ranked first, followed by the United States in second and the United Kingdom in third, while Japan remained in 13th place for the fourth consecutive year.
Regarding top 10% papers rankings, Japan’s 7th Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan, which was approved by the Cabinet in March, set a goal to raise Japan’s ranking to third place within 10 years.
“It takes time for results to materialize after research funding is allocated,” said a representative from the NISTP. “Efforts to increase research time and the number of doctoral students are necessary.”