Business innovation statistics and indicators

The OECD Business Innovation Statistics Database provides internationally comparable indicators on how enterprises innovate across countries and sectors, going beyond traditional measures such as R&D expenditure or patents.

Based on business innovation surveys conducted worldwide in line with the OECD/Eurostat Oslo Manual (2018), the database captures product and business process innovation, related activities, inputs and outcomes.

Updated every two years, it includes around 80 indicators covering topics such as innovation co-operation, environmental benefits, and employment, skills and turnover in innovative enterprises. The April 2026 release covers the period 2020–2022 for 33 OECD member countries and seven partner and accession economies, and introduces new indicators on employees’ educational attainment contributing to the Research and Innovation Observatory (ReICO) initiative.

Direct links to the different sections of the database are available here.

The OECD Business Innovation Statistics database provides information on differences in the share of enterprises that are innovative or innovation active across countries and their variation over time.

Industry level indicators illustrate how innovation varies not only between countries but also across sectors, highlighting differences in innovation intensity and specialisation patterns.