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February 14, 2022RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SPENDING 2019 (FINAL), 2020 (PRELIMINARY) & 2021 (INTENTIONS) Today, Statistics Canada released gross domestic expenditures on research and development, for actual spending in 2019 at the provincial level as well as 2020 (preliminary) and 2021 (intentions) at national level.
Characteristics of research and development spending, 2019 (actual)
Nova Scotia's R&D spending in 2019 was $699 million for all sectors, an increase of 6.4% from 2018. Nova Scotia accounted for 1.7% of Canada's R&D though its economy was 2.0% of the national total in 2019.
In 2019, the three largest provinces continued to account for the bulk of R&D spending in Canada. Ontario accounted for 44.7% of Canada's R&D in 2019 with the business enterprise sector in the province accounting for more than half of expenditures in the province. Quebec accounted for 24.9% of national R&D while British Columbia represented 12.1%.
As a share of gross domestic product (GDP), R&D expenditures were largest in Quebec at 2.2% and Ontario at 2.1%. Nova Scotia R&D as a percentage of GDP was 1.5%in 2019. Provincial R&D spending was lowest as a share of GDP in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta.
Nationally, 1.8% of Canada's GDP is spent on R&D.
Nova Scotia's R&D as a share of GDP increased in each year from 2011 to 2017. Following a decline in 2018, Nova Scotia's R&D as a share of GDP increased to 1.5% in 2019. Business and higher education R&D expenditures increased in 2019. Higher education R&D spending has been stable around 1.0% of GDP (the highest in Canada) for over a decade. Nova Scotia's government/non-profit R&D spending declined in 2019.
National spending on research and development, 2021 (intentions)
Canada's expenditures on research and development (R&D) increased 0.7% in 2020 to $40.6 billion. The intentions for 2021 point to a decline to 1.4% to $40.1 billion. Canada's R&D spending intentions for 2021 are up for higher education and business sectors but down for government and non-profit sector.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 27-10-0273-01 Gross domestic expenditures on research and development, by science type and by funder and performer sector (x 1,000,000); Table 36-10-0222-01 Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, provincial and territorial, annual (x 1,000,000)
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