Total expenditure on Japanese R&D for fiscal year 2014 increased 4.6%, totaling ¥18.97 trillion ($15.76 billion). As a percentage of GDP, R&D expenditure rose 0.12% to represent 4%. R&D in business enterprises accounted for 72% of R&D expenditures, a 7.0% increase. By main industries of business enterprises, “Transportation Equipment” accounted for 21%, or ¥2.84 trillion ($23.6 billion). “Electrical Machinery, Equipment and Supplies” accounted for 8%; “Medicines” made up 11%; “Scientific and Development Research Institutes” represented 6%; “Chemical and Allied Products” accounted for 6%; and “Information Services” made up 2%. Universities and colleges’ R&D expenditure decreased 0.1% to make up 20% of R&D expenditures, while non-profit institutions and public organizations’ R&D expenditures accounted for 9%, a 3.1% decrease. As of March 2015, the number of researchers had increased 3% to 866,900.

Source: Statistics Japan