The US National Science Board has unveiled its analysis of the state of America’s science and once again there are concerns that the country’s lead over the rest of the world is slipping.

America’s research and development ‘intensity’ (spend as a % of GDP) has remained steady but many countries – notably in Asia – have been rapidly growing their intensity. So although the US still spends more total on R&D than Asia the gap is narrowing, according to the 2010 Science and Engineering Indicators (graphs right, click to enlarge).

“The data begin to tell a worrisome story,” says Kei Koizumi, assistant director for federal R&D in the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (press release). “US dominance has eroded significantly.”

Other indicators are also worrying American wonks. China now has the same number of researchers as the US and America’s share of world research articles published also continues to decline.

The report also notes that moves by large companies to shift R&D cash to Asia are also ongoing. Overseas research spending by US multinationals in Asia (excluding Japan) has increased from 5% in 1995 to 14% in 2006.

All these numbers come with a pretty major caveat though: “The data available as of this writing do not, for the most part, cover the ongoing changes that shook the global economy beginning in 2008”

Images: NSB, SEI 2010