Gross domestic expenditures on research and development, 2022 (final), 2023 (preliminary) and 2024 (intentions)
Released: 2024-12-03
$51.7 billion
2022
9.0% 
(year-over-year change)
Canada's gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD) reached $51.7 billion in 2022, up 9.0% (+$4.2 billion) from the previous year. The growth rate was consistent across both fields of research, with natural sciences and engineering reaching $46.9 billion (+$3.9 billion) and social sciences, humanities and the arts reaching $4.8 billion (+$383 million).
In 2022, research and development (R&D) spending continued to be concentrated in Ontario (+$1.9 billion to $23.7 billion), Quebec (+$925 million to $12.7 billion), British Columbia (+$631 million to $6.7 billion) and Alberta (+$459 million to $4.7 billion).
Preliminary estimates suggest that R&D spending will reach $53.1 billion (+$1.4 billion) in 2023 and $55.0 billion (+$1.8 billion) in 2024.
Funding for research and development rises across all sectors
The business enterprise sector was the largest R&D funder in 2022 (+$2.4 billion to $24.5 billion) and accounted for over half of the overall increase in R&D funding. It was followed by the higher education sector (+$565 million to $8.9 billion), the private non-profit sector (+$415 million to $2.4 billion) and the federal government (+$356 million to $8.4 billion).
Leading research and development performers are business enterprises and higher education institutions
The business enterprise and higher education sectors accounted for over 90% of R&D activities undertaken in Canada in 2022. Businesses performed $30.4 billion of R&D activities, an increase of $2.6 billion from 2021, representing over 60% of the total growth in R&D spending. Meanwhile, higher education institutions conducted $18.1 billion of R&D activities, up $1.4 billion from 2021.
Chart 1
Funding and performing expenditures on research and development by sector, 2022 (final)
Canada's research and development spending on an international scale
Canada's R&D intensity remained below the G7 (Group of Seven) average in 2022 (see Note to Readers). This metric, which compares a country's R&D expenditures with its gross domestic product, shows that Canada's R&D intensity fell from 1.87 in 2021 to 1.81 in 2022. By comparison, intensity increased among leading R&D performers, the United States and Japan. Canada's performance was also below the average of the OECD's (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development) 38 members in 2022 (2.73).
Chart 2
Gross domestic expenditures on research and development intensity in the G7 countries, 2020 to 2022
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Sustainable development goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
Data on Canada's gross domestic expenditures on research and development are an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the global sustainable development goals. This release will be used to help measure the following goal:
Note to readers
This release presents gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD) for 2022 (final), actual gross preliminary data for 2023 and intentions data for 2024 at the national level. Provincial-level data are available only for 2022 and earlier years.
Data for GERD are available in current and constant dollars for both performing and funding sectors, by science type, province, territory and region, in table 27-10-0273-01. Current dollars are used in this release's analysis.
There are six GERD-performing sectors in Canada: business enterprise, private non-profit, higher education, federal government, provincial governments and provincial research organizations.
Research and development (R&D) funding comes from seven sectors: the federal government, provincial governments, business enterprises, higher education, private non-profit organizations, provincial research organizations and the foreign sector.
GERD data presented in this release are performance-based and correspond to the sum of intramural R&D expenditures reported by performing sectors.
Funding sector data are derived from the source of funds indicated by the performing sectors. As a result, GERD-funding sector values will not equal funding data collected and released by individual sectors.
Provincial and territorial expenditures are assigned to the province or territory in which the performing organization is located. Provincial funding sector expenditures represent R&D funding distributed in a province or territory. The funds do not necessarily originate from within the province or territory.
The business enterprise data source for the GERD program was redesigned in 2014, including concepts and methodology. Users should therefore exercise caution when comparing data with historical datasets. To learn more about these survey changes, see the Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry page on the Statistics Canada website.
The higher education data source was modified to include revised time-use coefficients in 2012. Users should exercise caution when comparing data with historical datasets.
Data for the provincial government performing sector are currently modelled and based on results from the 2011 Provincial Scientific Activities Survey. However, this release includes data on R&D activities performed by the provincial government of Quebec, which conducted its own survey and provided the information to Statistics Canada. Provincial research organization data are collected through a Statistics Canada survey.
References
Main Science and Technology Indicators (MSTI Database). (2024). On this page, under "Related files," download the Excel Workbook and search for "GERD as a percentage of GDP" in the "List of tables" tab.
Contact information
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