$94T
Infrastructure Need
$2.87T
Global R&D 2024
68%
Internet Users
3.7M
Patents 2024
Executive Dashboard
SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
$94T
Global Infrastructure Need (to 2040)
Source: Global Infrastructure Hub
$18T
Infrastructure Investment Gap
Critical shortfall
$100.7B
Private Infrastructure Investment 2024
↑ 16% YoY
$2.87T
Global R&D Expenditure 2024
↑ 3% growth
5.5B
Internet Users Worldwide
68% of population
51%
Global 5G Coverage
↑ From 38% in 2023
3.7M
Patent Applications 2024
↑ 4.9% YoY - WIPO
16.6%
Manufacturing % of GDP
↓ From 17.2% pre-pandemic
SDG 9 Target Progress
Regional Infrastructure Investment
Key Regional Indicators
| Region | Internet Users | 5G Coverage | R&D Intensity | Infrastructure Gap | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 93% | 92% | 3.4% | $2.1T | On Track |
| Europe | 89% | 78% | 2.3% | $3.4T | On Track |
| East Asia & Pacific | 76% | 68% | 2.8% | $28T | Moderate |
| Latin America | 72% | 35% | 0.7% | $5.2T | Moderate |
| South Asia | 48% | 22% | 0.7% | $6.3T | Off Track |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 35% | 11% | 0.4% | $180B/yr | Critical |
SDG 9 Official Targets & Indicators
8 Targets with 12 Global Indicators - UN Statistical Commission
9.1
Quality, Reliable & Resilient Infrastructure
Develop sustainable infrastructure for economic development and human well-being
9.1.1 Rural population within 2 km of all-season road78.3% globally
9.1.2 Passenger and freight volumes by transport mode4.2T passenger-km
9.2
Inclusive & Sustainable Industrialization
Raise industry's share of employment and GDP by 2030
9.2.1 Manufacturing value added as % of GDP16.6% globally
9.2.2 Manufacturing employment as % of total13.4% globally
9.3
SME Access to Financial Services
Increase access of small-scale industries to financial services and value chains
9.3.1 Small-scale industries in total industry value added35% developing
9.3.2 Small-scale industries with loan/credit access28% in LDCs
9.4
Sustainable & Clean Industrial Processes
Upgrade infrastructure with clean technologies
9.4.1 CO₂ emission per unit of value added0.30 kg CO₂/$
9.5
Enhanced Scientific Research
Enhance research and upgrade technological capabilities
9.5.1 R&D expenditure as % of GDP2.0% global avg
9.5.2 Researchers per million inhabitants1,599 global avg
9.a
Infrastructure Development Support
Financial and technical support for developing countries
9.a.1 Total official support to infrastructure$68.3B ODA 2023
9.b
Domestic Technology Development
Support technology development in developing countries
9.b.1 Medium/high-tech industry value added %45% developed, 18% LDCs
9.c
Universal ICT Access
Universal and affordable Internet access in LDCs
9.c.1 Population covered by mobile network (3G+)96% global, 89% LDCs
Global Infrastructure Analysis
$94 Trillion investment required to 2040 - Global Infrastructure Hub
$94T
Total Infrastructure Need
$18T gap
$28T
Road Infrastructure
30% of total
$27T
Energy Infrastructure
29% of total
$11T
Rail Infrastructure
12% of total
Investment by Sector
Regional Gaps
Major Infrastructure Initiatives (2024)
| Initiative | Sponsor | Sector | Investment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt and Road Initiative | China | Multi-sector | $1.3T+ | Ongoing |
| US Infrastructure Act | United States | Multi-sector | $1.2T | Active |
| India NIP | India | Multi-sector | $1.4T | Ongoing |
| EU Global Gateway | European Union | Multi-sector | €300B | Ongoing |
| PIDA | African Union | Multi-sector | $360B | Partial |
| NEOM City | Saudi Arabia | Smart City | $500B | Construction |
Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) 2024
$100.7B
Total Investment
+16%
YoY Growth
254
Projects
47
Countries
Transport & Logistics
Global transport network connectivity and logistics
$28T
Road Investment Need
$11T
Rail Investment Need
$4.3T
Maritime Investment
$2.8T
Aviation Investment
Global Road Network Statistics
| Country | Total Network | Paved % | Rural Access | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 6.7M km | 67% | 98% | 5.7/7 |
| 🇨🇳 China | 5.2M km | 72% | 99.8% | 5.0/7 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 6.4M km | 53% | 82% | 4.1/7 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 644K km | 100% | 100% | 6.0/7 |
Top Container Ports (TEU 2024)
| Rank | Port | Country | TEU (M) | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | 🇨🇳 China | 49.7 | +3.8% |
| 2 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 39.4 | +5.2% |
| 3 | Ningbo-Zhoushan | 🇨🇳 China | 35.3 | +4.1% |
| 4 | Shenzhen | 🇨🇳 China | 30.2 | +2.9% |
| 5 | Busan | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 22.7 | +1.2% |
Energy Infrastructure
Global power generation, transmission and access
$27T
Energy Infrastructure Need
91%
Global Electrification Rate
660M without power
3,870 GW
Renewable Capacity 2024
↑ 16% YoY
$380B
Clean Energy Investment
Top 10 Power Capacity Countries
| Rank | Country | Capacity (GW) | Renewable % | Per Capita (kW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China | 2,920 | 52% | 2.05 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 1,310 | 28% | 3.92 |
| 3 | 🇮🇳 India | 440 | 42% | 0.31 |
| 4 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 256 | 22% | 1.76 |
| 5 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 248 | 24% | 1.98 |
| 6 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 238 | 58% | 2.83 |
| 7 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 196 | 85% | 0.91 |
| 8 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 151 | 68% | 3.89 |
Digital Infrastructure
ITU Facts and Figures 2024 - Global Connectivity
5.5B
Internet Users
68% of population
2.6B
People Offline
32% unconnected
96%
3G+ Coverage
51%
5G Coverage
↑ From 38%
Digital Divide by Development Status
93%
High-Income Countries
66%
Middle-Income
27%
Low-Income
5G Coverage by Income Level
| Income Level | 5G Coverage | 4G Coverage | Internet Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Income | 84% | 99% | 93% |
| Upper-Middle | 62% | 96% | 76% |
| Lower-Middle | 24% | 85% | 52% |
| Low-Income | 4% | 45% | 27% |
Global Broadband Subscriptions
9.1B
Mobile Cellular
7.7B
Mobile Broadband
1.6B
Fixed Broadband
19.6
Fixed per 100
Research & Development
UNESCO/WIPO Global R&D and Patent Statistics 2024
$2.87T
Global R&D Expenditure
↑ 3% YoY
2.0%
R&D Intensity (% GDP)
3.7M
Patent Applications
↑ 4.9% - WIPO
9.3M
Researchers Worldwide
Top R&D Spending Countries
| Rank | Country | Spending | % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 United States | $806B | 3.46% |
| 2 | 🇨🇳 China | $746B | 2.55% |
| 3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $184B | 3.30% |
| 4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $152B | 3.14% |
| 5 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $114B | 4.96% |
R&D Intensity Leaders
| Rank | Country | % GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 6.35% |
| 2 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 4.96% |
| 3 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 3.77% |
| 4 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 3.53% |
| 5 | 🇺🇸 United States | 3.46% |
Global Patent Applications by Office (2024)
| Rank | Office | Applications | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China (CNIPA) | 1,750,000 | 47.5% | +3.2% |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 USPTO | 518,364 | 14.1% | -0.4% |
| 3 | 🇯🇵 JPO | 288,472 | 7.8% | -1.7% |
| 4 | 🇰🇷 KIPO | 237,198 | 6.4% | +2.1% |
| 5 | 🇪🇺 EPO | 199,275 | 5.4% | +3.8% |
| 6 | 🇮🇳 India | 83,119 | 2.3% | +24.6% |
Regional R&D Distribution
45%
Asia
28%
North America
22%
Europe
5%
Rest of World
Emerging Technologies
AI, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, IoT & Industry 4.0
$196B
AI Market 2024
36% CAGR to 2030
$32B
Blockchain Market
68% CAGR
$1.3B
Quantum Computing
32% CAGR
18.8B
IoT Devices
↑ 13% YoY
AI Adoption by Industry
| Industry | Adoption | Primary Use Cases | ROI Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | 82% | Development, Security, Operations | +28% |
| Financial Services | 78% | Fraud detection, Trading | +23% |
| Healthcare | 65% | Diagnostics, Drug discovery | +18% |
| Manufacturing | 62% | Predictive maintenance, Quality | +21% |
| Retail | 58% | Personalization, Inventory | +15% |
Quantum Computing Leaders
| Company | Country | Qubits | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBM | 🇺🇸 USA | 1,121 | Superconducting |
| D-Wave | 🇨🇦 Canada | 5,000+ | Quantum Annealing |
| 🇺🇸 USA | 72 | Superconducting | |
| Alibaba/CAS | 🇨🇳 China | 66 | Superconducting |
| IonQ | 🇺🇸 USA | 32 | Trapped Ion |
Innovation Ecosystem
Global Innovation Index, Venture Capital, and Innovation Hubs
$285B
Global VC Investment 2024
1,468
Unicorn Companies
42,000+
Accelerators/Incubators
$175B
University Research
Global Innovation Index 2024 - Top 15
| Rank | Country | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 67.6 | — |
| 2 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 65.2 | — |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 United States | 62.4 | — |
| 4 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 61.3 | — |
| 5 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 60.7 | ↑1 |
| 6 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 58.5 | ↑1 |
| 7 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 58.0 | ↓2 |
| 8 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 57.5 | — |
| 9 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 57.1 | — |
| 10 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 56.5 | — |
| 11 | 🇫🇷 France | 55.0 | ↑1 |
| 12 | 🇨🇳 China | 54.8 | — |
| 13 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 54.2 | — |
| 14 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 53.8 | ↓1 |
| 15 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 53.6 | — |
Top Innovation Hubs
Silicon Valley
🇺🇸 California
10,000+ Tech companies
$160B VC/year
550+ Unicorns
Stanford Research
Shenzhen-HK
🇨🇳 Guangdong
30,000+ Tech companies
$42B VC/year
180+ Unicorns
Hardware Focus
Beijing
🇨🇳 China
25,000+ Tech companies
$38B VC/year
120+ Unicorns
Tsinghua Research
Manufacturing & Industry 4.0
Global manufacturing value added and industrial transformation
$16.4T
Global MVA
370M
Manufacturing Jobs
3.9M
Industrial Robots
↑ 10% YoY
45%
Industry 4.0 Adoption
Top Manufacturing Countries
| Rank | Country | MVA ($B) | % GDP | Global Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China | 5,140 | 27.8% | 31.3% |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 2,860 | 10.8% | 17.4% |
| 3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1,020 | 20.2% | 6.2% |
| 4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 820 | 19.4% | 5.0% |
| 5 | 🇮🇳 India | 560 | 13.2% | 3.4% |
| 6 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 510 | 26.8% | 3.1% |
Robot Density (per 10,000 employees)
| Rank | Country | Density | Key Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1,012 | Electronics, Automotive |
| 2 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 730 | Electronics, Pharma |
| 3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 399 | Automotive, Electronics |
| 4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 397 | Automotive, Metal |
| 5 | 🇨🇳 China | 392 | Electronics, Automotive |
SME Development
Small and Medium Enterprise support for inclusive industrialization
400M+
SMEs Worldwide
70%
Employment Share
$5.2T
Financing Gap
28%
Credit Access (LDCs)
SME Financial Access by Region
| Region | SMEs with Loans | Financing Gap | Account Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Income | 72% | $0.8T | 94% |
| East Asia & Pacific | 54% | $1.3T | 71% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 48% | $0.4T | 68% |
| Latin America | 35% | $0.6T | 54% |
| South Asia | 28% | $1.2T | 48% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 22% | $0.6T | 38% |
Sustainable Industry
CO₂ emissions intensity and green industrial transformation
0.30 kg
CO₂ per $ Value Added
↓ 35% since 2000
$1.8T
Green Tech Market
32%
Industrial Renewables
$312B
Cleantech Investment
CO₂ Intensity by Region
| Region | CO₂/$ MVA | Change | Target 2030 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 0.18 kg | -28% | 0.12 | On Track |
| North America | 0.22 kg | -18% | 0.15 | Moderate |
| East Asia | 0.35 kg | -22% | 0.24 | Moderate |
| South Asia | 0.48 kg | -12% | 0.32 | Off Track |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.42 kg | -5% | 0.28 | Critical |
Green Industrial Technologies
| Technology | Market 2024 | CAGR | CO₂ Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Hydrogen | $6.2B | 52% | 7 Gt/yr by 2050 |
| Carbon Capture (CCUS) | $4.8B | 28% | 5.6 Gt/yr by 2050 |
| Industrial Heat Pumps | $18.2B | 12% | 0.5 Gt/yr by 2050 |
| Circular Economy | $450B | 18% | 3.8 Gt/yr by 2050 |
Organizations Database
Key institutions driving SDG 9 implementation
UN System Organizations
| Organization | Acronym | Focus | Budget | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN Industrial Development Organization | UNIDO | Industrial development | $350M | 170 |
| International Telecommunication Union | ITU | ICT & telecom | $180M | 193 |
| World Intellectual Property Organization | WIPO | Patents & IP | $420M | 193 |
| UNESCO Science Division | UNESCO | Science & innovation | $85M | 193 |
| UN Conference on Trade and Development | UNCTAD | Trade & development | $150M | 195 |
Multilateral Development Banks
| Institution | Infrastructure Lending | Regions |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank Group | $38.6B/year | Global |
| Asian Development Bank | $23.1B/year | Asia-Pacific |
| European Investment Bank | $72B/year | Europe + Global |
| Inter-American Development Bank | $12.3B/year | Latin America |
| African Development Bank | $8.2B/year | Africa |
| Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank | $10.8B/year | Asia |
Investment Analysis
Infrastructure financing flows and opportunities
$3.7T
Current Annual Investment
$5.9T
Required Annual
$2.2T gap
$68.3B
ODA for Infrastructure
$100.7B
Private Investment
Top Investment Destinations
| Rank | Country | Investment | Sectors | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China | $850B | Transport, Energy, Digital | Strong |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | $420B | Transport, Energy, Water | Strong |
| 3 | 🇮🇳 India | $180B | Transport, Energy, Digital | Strong |
| 4 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $120B | Transport, Resilience | Strong |
| 5 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $95B | Energy, Digital | Strong |
Regional Analysis
SDG 9 progress by world region
Africa
Asia-Pacific
Europe
Americas
Sub-Saharan Africa Profile
$180B
Annual Infrastructure Gap
35%
Internet Penetration
0.4%
R&D Intensity
56%
Electricity Access
Key Challenges: Limited financing, 600M without power, digital divide, brain drain
Priority Initiatives: PIDA, AfCFTA corridors, African Continental Power System
Asia-Pacific Profile
$28T
Infrastructure Need to 2040
66%
Internet Penetration
45%
Share of Global R&D
98%
Electricity Access
Strengths: Rapid digital buildout, strong manufacturing, R&D leadership, 5G deployment
Initiatives: Belt and Road, ASEAN Connectivity, Made in China 2025, India NIP
Europe Profile
$3.4T
Infrastructure Gap
89%
Internet Penetration
2.3%
R&D Intensity
100%
Electricity Access
Strengths: Mature networks, strong research, EU single market, green industrial leadership
Initiatives: EU Green Deal, Horizon Europe (€95.5B), Digital Europe, REPowerEU
Americas Profile
$7.3T
Infrastructure Need
81%
Internet Penetration
2.8%
N. America R&D
98%
Electricity Access
Variations: N. America leads R&D/VC; Latin America faces deficits, limited R&D (0.7%)
Initiatives: US Infrastructure Act ($1.2T), IDB Invest, Americas Partnership
Data Sources & Methodology
Authoritative sources for all statistics and indicators
Primary Data Sources
| Source | Data Type | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Global Infrastructure Hub | Infrastructure investment needs & gaps | Annual |
| World Bank PPI Database | Private participation in infrastructure | Quarterly |
| ITU Facts and Figures | Digital connectivity, mobile coverage | Annual |
| UNESCO Institute for Statistics | R&D expenditure, researchers | Annual |
| WIPO Statistics Database | Patent applications, IP filings | Annual |
| UNIDO Statistics | Manufacturing value added | Annual |
| IEA World Energy Outlook | Energy infrastructure, capacity | Annual |
| IRENA Statistics | Renewable energy capacity | Annual |
| International Federation of Robotics | Industrial robot installations | Annual |
| Global Innovation Index (WIPO) | Innovation rankings | Annual |
Data Validation
All statistics in this platform are sourced from authoritative international organizations and validated against official UN SDG indicator databases. Data represents the most recent available figures as of 2024-2025. Regional aggregations follow World Bank income classifications and UN geographical groupings.
Last Updated: February 2025