Meta Platforms (META) Research & Development (2011 - 2026)
Meta Platforms (META) posted Research & Development of $20.05 billion for Q3 2026, up 32.4% from $15.14 billion a year earlier but down 7.4% from the prior quarter.
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Analysis
Meta Platforms (META) Research & Development (2011 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
For the trailing twelve months through Sep 30, 2026, Research & Development at Meta Platforms was $76.54 billion, up 46.0% year-over-year; for FY2025, it came in at $57.37 billion, up 30.8% from FY2024.
- Annual Research & Development has increased for 15 consecutive years, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 25.5% (FY2020 to FY2025).
- In prior years, Meta Platforms' Research & Development was $43.87 billion in FY2024 (+14.0%), $38.48 billion in FY2023 (+8.9%), $35.34 billion in FY2022 (+43.3%) and $24.66 billion in FY2021 (+33.7%).
- Quarterly Research & Development has run from a low of $7.05 billion in Q4 2021 to a high of $21.66 billion in Q2 2026 over five years.
- On a year-over-year basis, Research & Development has increased in each of the last 53 quarters, with growth averaging 35.3% over the last eight quarters.
- Across the past five years, year-over-year growth in Research & Development ran from 0.8% in Q3 2023 to 67.3% in Q2 2026.
- According to Business Quant data, Research & Development for the three prior quarters was $21.66 billion (Q2 2026), $17.7 billion (Q1 2026) and $17.14 billion (Q4 2025).
Peer Set
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | R&D (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphabet | 3,394.62 Bn | 3,078.49 Bn | - | 20.64 Bn |
| 2 | Meta Platforms | 1,562.01 Bn | 1,562.01 Bn | - | 20.05 Bn |
| 3 | Netflix | 255.92 Bn | 217.22 Bn | 6.80 Bn | 1.03 Bn |
| 4 | Alibaba Group Holding | 227.02 Bn | 40.65 Bn | 15.16 Bn | 3.32 Bn |
| 5 | Shopify | 203.21 Bn | 180.40 Bn | 1.71 Bn | 445.00 Mn |
| 6 | Uber Technologies | 132.34 Bn | 104.14 Bn | 6.38 Bn | 1.04 Bn |
| 7 | Spotify Technology | 121.64 Bn | 78.55 Bn | 1.89 Bn | 479.73 Mn |
| 8 | Booking Holdings | 113.63 Bn | 46.68 Bn | - | - |
| 9 | PDD Holdings | 109.85 Bn | -134.20 Bn | 9.48 Bn | 673.00 Mn |
| 10 | Airbnb | 97.28 Bn | 50.51 Bn | 2.98 Bn | 672.00 Mn |
Historic Data
Download Data
Historic Data
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | 20.05 Bn |
| Jun 30, 2026 | 21.66 Bn |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 17.70 Bn |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 17.14 Bn |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 15.14 Bn |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 12.94 Bn |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 12.15 Bn |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 12.18 Bn |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 11.18 Bn |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 10.54 Bn |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 9.98 Bn |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 10.52 Bn |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 9.24 Bn |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 9.34 Bn |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 9.38 Bn |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 9.77 Bn |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 9.17 Bn |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 8.69 Bn |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 7.71 Bn |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 7.05 Bn |
API Access
Meta Platforms Research & Development API
Pull this series into your own models, spreadsheets and apps with the Business Quant
Historical Metrics API. The request below matches the chart above — change the
frequency, period or values and it follows. Swap YOUR_API_KEY for your own key.
https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=research-and-development&ticker=META&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEYimport requests
url = "https://data.businessquant.com/historic"
params = {"slug": "research-and-development", "ticker": "META", "period": "max", "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
data = requests.get(url, params=params).json()const res = await fetch("https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=research-and-development&ticker=META&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY");
const data = await res.json();