Relative to GDP, India's space spends higher than half of G20 peers

Chandrayaan-3's successful soft landing on the lunar south pole on Wednesday has ensured India's place in the elite group of nations to have achieved this feat

India spent more on its space program compared to its economic size, than many developed peers in the Group of 20 (G20) nations.  

India’s spending was the equivalent of 0.049 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to data compiled by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2020. This is higher than the UK (0.03 per cent), Canada (0.018 per cent), and Australia (0.004 per cent). India’s spending was higher than at least ten of its peers in the G20 (chart 1). 

Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing on the lunar south pole on Wednesday has ensured India’s