U.S. research spending in 2018 totaled nearly $200 billion

A new report from the advocacy group Research!America finds that the total spending on health and medical research last year was more than $194 billion. Here’s more: 

• Growth in spending: Since 2013, medical and health R&D spending has increased by $51 billion. Industry and academia funding have increased by nearly 40% over this time.  
• By sector: Industry was responsible for two-thirds of the 2018 R&D funding, while federal agencies invested about 22%. Academic institutions and foundations made up the rest. 
• Comparison to health care: Spending on health care far outweighs spending on health research. In 2018, $3.6 trillion was spent on care, which means research funding accounts for only five cents of every health sector dollar.