Investment in research and development in the Ibero-American region emerges as a major challenge. This is evident from the annual report The State of Science 2024 by the Ibero-American Network of Science and Technology Indicators.
This report, co-edited by the Organization of Ibero-American States (OAS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), offers a detailed analysis of the scientific and technological landscape in the region.
It also highlights both the advances and the persistent challenges. The data corresponds to 2022.
Research and development: how much is being invested in Ibero-America
Countries in Ibero-America allocated $166 billion to research and development, which represents a 42% growth compared to 2013.
However, this investment amounts to only 0.73% of the regional gross domestic product. In Latin America, the figure is even lower, standing at 0.56%. Brazil is the only country in the region that exceeds 1% of its GDP in scientific investment.
Global comparison and regional concentration
Globally, the region accounted for 4% of total investment in 2022, according to the report. While Latin America contributed 2.5%.
These figures decreased compared to 2013, due to the significant growth in investment in Asian countries, which now represent 37.4% of global investment.
Despite the stagnation in investment, the number of scientists in the region has increased considerably.
In 2022, there were 642,383 researchers in Ibero-America, a notable increase from 442,835 in 2013. Most of these researchers (46%) work in the higher education sector, followed by the business sector (33%) and public research and development institutions (19%).
The level of patenting in the region remains low. In 2022, 1395 international patents were requested in Latin America and 3024 in Ibero-America through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
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