MSTI is published twice each year, in March and September. Each release of the MSTI database is complemented by a briefing note with highlights on the latest R&D tends and other key indicators. The March edition revises previous data and contains the most timely but provisional aggregate indicators. The indicators in the September edition typically draw on data confirmed by countries as “final” as well as more disaggregated indicators. The September edition is also characterised by more complete reporting of indicators on government budgets for R&D by OECD member countries.

The second update of MSTI in 2024 was brought forward from September to July to reflect the recent purchasing power parity (PPP) updates from the International Comparison Program (ICP) 2021 cycle.  The OECD uses ICP’s PPP data to compare R&D expenditure data across countries and construct aggregates for the OECD and EU areas. The MSTI July 2024 update also includes more timely data for Chile, the People’s Republic of China and South Africa, as well as more detailed business R&D indicators for Bulgaria and Croatia. The next major update of MSTI is scheduled for March 2025. As part of an ongoing transformation, this update is expected to incorporate improvements to OECD methods for R&D data processing and estimation. 

The MSTI database covers 148 key indicators for monitoring trends in S&T over time and across countries. It includes indicators on financial and personnel resources devoted to R&D in the different institutional sectors, as well as indicators on R&D funding, especially on government budget allocations for R&D. It also includes indicators of outputs and potential outcomes of S&T activities, namely patent data and international trade in R&D-intensive industries.

Indicators on R&D expenditures, budgets, and personnel are derived from the OECD’s Research and Development Statistics database (RDS), which is based on the data reported to OECD and Eurostat in the framework of the joint OECD/Eurostat international data collection on resources devoted to R&D. Sources for other indicators include the OECD databases on patents and bilateral trade in goods by industry and end-use category (BTDIxE).