Mapping institutional expenditures on article processing charges using OpenAlex data: Trends and global perspectives

Open Access (OA) publishing has transformed scholarly communication, with Article Processing Charges (APC) being one of the means of ensuring free accessibility to research. This study analyses global APC trends across countries, institutions, and publishers using OpenAlex data. It examines differences in expenditure behaviours, highlighting variances in regional and institutional APC spending. The research focuses on three selected countries including the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Iraq representing different levels of APC funding and policy. The results show that the Netherlands has the highest APC expenditure due to strong OA policies, while Malaysia has a fragmented funding model, and Iraq faces financial constraints. Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer dominate APC revenues, particularly in Physical and Health Sciences. This study emphasizes the urgent need for equitable funding mechanisms and policies to support sustainable OA publishing, ensuring that financial barriers do not inhibit global dissemination of research results.