US Useful Stats: Overall R&D intensity by state (2002-2016)

R&D intensity is defined as total R&D expenditures divided by  each state’s gross domestic product in a given year. 

Notably, five states stand out for exceeding the national average in both R&D intensity and increases in R&D intensity from 2002 to 2016: Oregon, Delaware, California, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

The Data analyzed by SSTI, stem from the NSF’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ (NCSES) National Patterns of R&D Resources series.

In 2016, the states where overall research and development comprised the largest share of gross state product were New Mexico (6.8 percent of GDP), Massachusetts (5.7 percent), Maryland (5.7 percent), California (5.2 percent), and Washington (4.8 percent). Meanwhile, R&D intensity was the lowest in Louisiana (0.4 percent), Nevada (0.5 percent), and Arkansas (0.6 percent).

Over the 15-year period from 2002 to 2016, there was an increase in R&D intensity in 22 states, led by Wyoming (95.0 percent increase), Missouri (83.9 percent increase), and North Carolina (51.4 percent increase). West Virginia (47.9 percent decrease), Alaska (42.1 percent decrease), and Vermont (40.9 percent decrease) were among the majority of states that experienced a decline in R&D intensity over this period.

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