Developing countries have more than doubled spending on science over a 5 year period, from US$134 billion in 2002 and to US$272 billion in 2007, new figures show.

The number of researchers in developing nations jumped from 1.8 million to 2.7 million over the same time period, according to data release from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) on 6 October. During the same period, the number of researchers in developed countries increased by only 8.6% to 4.4 million.

As well as increasing overall spending on R&D, developing nations have also upped R&D expenditure as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) from 0.8% in 2002 to 1.0% in 2007. But the report says these figures should be interpreted with “caution” as averages hide the wide variation found across countries. For example, China saw a rise from 1.1% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2007. In comparison, India only rose from 0.7% in 2002 to 0.8% in 2007.

But developing countries still have a way to go. Sospeter Muhongo, executive director of the International Council for Science Regional Office for Africa, says, “Developed countries still account for 80 per cent of publications in learned journals with the developing world taking only 20 per cent”. (SciDev.Net)