In 2020, Digital Science published the report, Contextualizing Sustainable Development Research, using Dimensions to explore the global landscape of research on SDGs. The report's analysis of each country’s SDG research output ranked the US as most productive between 2000 and 2020, with the country in first place consistently throughout the period. In 2016, the country produced 10% of total SDG output. This trend continued into 2022, when the US contributed to 22% of total SDG output.33
The UK – initially the second highest producer of SDG-related research – was replaced by China in 2012, dropping to third place.34 In 2000, China ranked ninth in terms of output, but leapt to fourth place by 2004, eventually reaching second place eight years later. In 2016, 8.5% of SDG research was published by Chinese sources. In December 2022, that number had climbed to 21% of total SDG output, while the UK contributed to only 7.7% of SDG-related research.35
However, analysing the number of articles in relation to factors such as demography, policy, research infrastructure or level of attention provides a more complete picture of each country’s commitment and the influence of their research outputs. For instance, when the number of articles on SDG13 is assessed in relation to population size, Norway is more productive than China.36