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Summary of Results (2020)
Results of the Survey of Research and Development
R&D Expenditure
Japan's total expenditure on R&D during fiscal year (FY) 2019 stood at 19.58 trillion yen, a 0.3 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. It has increased for three consecutive years, the highest ever.
Expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP was 3.50 percent, a 0.01 percentage point decrease from the previous fiscal year.
R&D expenditure of business enterprises stood at 14,212 billion yen, with a 0.1 percent decrease from the previous year, that of non-profit institutions and public organizations stood at 1,643 billion yen, with a 1.7 percent increase from the previous year, and that of universities and colleges stood at 3,720 billion yen, with a 1.1 percent increase from the previous year.
Within the business enterprises sector in FY 2019, "Transportation equipment" showed the highest figure among all industries, at 3,179 billion yen.
R&D Personnel
As of 31 March 2020, the total number of researchers is 881,000, a 0.7 percent increase from the previous year. It has increased for four consecutive years,the highest ever.
The number of female researchers is 158,900 and accounts for 16.9 percent of the total researchers. This figure is the highest ever.
Technology Balance of Payments
With regard to technology balance of payments by business enterprises, receipts from technology exports stood at 3.66 trillion yen, a decrease of 5.4 percent from the previous fiscal year. It has decreased for two consecutive years.
Payments from technology imports stood at 544 billion yen, a decrease of 8.0 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. It has decreased for two consecutive years.
The technology balance of payments (receipts from technology exports minus payments from technology imports) stood at 3.12 trillion yen, an decrease of 4.9 percent from the previous fiscal year. It has decreased for the first time in three years.
