Science · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about science and how the public understands it, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 35%
That 35% figure was up sharply from 21% just a few years earlier, though most Americans expressed at least some confidence in scientists.
Source: Pew Research Center (2019) pewresearch.org
Answerabout 3.45%
The U.S. spends a larger share of its economy on R&D than most countries, though several smaller nations spend an even higher share.
Source: Wikipedia, citing national R&D spending data (2023) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 1.79%
Globally, research and development spending amounted to less than 2% of world GDP in 2018, according to UNESCO's tracking of national data.
Source: Wikipedia, citing UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2018) en.wikipedia.org
AnswerSweden
The U.S. scored close to the OECD average on scientific literacy, trailing only Sweden among the European countries compared.
Source: Wikipedia, citing OECD-based comparison (2018) en.wikipedia.org