Meta Platforms, Inc. R&D increased by 3.3% to $17.70B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 45.7%, from $12.15B to $17.70B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), R&D shows an upward trend with a 23.5% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 30, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending signals a commitment to innovation and future product launches, whereas significant cuts may indicate a shift toward short-term profitability.
Detailed definition
Research and development expenses represent the costs incurred to discover new products, improve existing technologies,...
Peer comparison
Highly comparable across pharmaceutical and medical device peers, where R&D intensity is a key metric for long-term valuation.
Metric ID:
research_and_developmentHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $6.10B | $6.32B | $7.05B | $7.71B | $8.69B | $9.17B | $9.77B | $9.38B | $9.34B | $9.24B | $10.52B | $9.98B | $10.54B | $11.18B | $12.18B | $12.15B | $12.94B | $15.14B | $17.14B | $17.70B |
| QoQ Change | — | +3.6% | +11.6% | +9.4% | +12.8% | +5.5% | +6.6% | -4.0% | -0.4% | -1.1% | +13.8% | -5.1% | +5.6% | +6.1% | +9.0% | -0.2% | +6.5% | +17.0% | +13.1% | +3.3% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +42.6% | +45.2% | +38.7% | +21.7% | +7.5% | +0.8% | +7.6% | +6.4% | +12.8% | +21.0% | +15.8% | +21.8% | +22.8% | +35.5% | +40.7% | +45.7% |
Range$6.10B – $17.70B
CAGR+25.2%
Avg YoY Growth+24.2%
Median YoY Growth+21.7%
Current Streak4 quarters growth
R&D at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Meta Platforms, Inc.'s r&d?
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) reported r&d of $17.70B in Q1 2026.
- How has Meta Platforms, Inc.'s r&d changed year-over-year?
- Meta Platforms, Inc.'s r&d increased by 45.7% year-over-year, from $12.15B to $17.70B.
- What is the long-term trend for Meta Platforms, Inc.'s r&d?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Meta Platforms, Inc.'s r&d has grown at a 23.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $24.66B to $57.37B.
- What does r&d mean?
- The money spent on creating new products or improving existing ones to drive future growth.