5/2019 - 10 January 2019
First estimates of Research & Development expenditure
R&D expenditure in the EU increased slightly to 2.07% of GDP in 2017
Two thirds spent in the business enterprise sector
In 2017, the Member States of the European Union (EU) spent all together almost €320 billion on Research & Development (R&D). The R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, stood at 2.07% in 2017, compared with 2.04% in 2016. Ten years earlier (2007), R&D intensity was 1.77%.
With respect to other major economies, R&D intensity in the EU was much lower than in South Korea (4.22% in 2015), Japan (3.28% in 2015) and the United States (2.76% in 2015), while it was at about the same level as in China (2.06% in 2015) and much higher than in Russia (1.1% in 2015) and Turkey (0.96%). In order to provide a stimulus to the EU's competitiveness, an increase by 2020 of the R&D intensity to 3% in the EU is one of the five headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy.
The business enterprise sector continues to be the main sector in which R&D expenditure was spent, accounting for 66% of total R&D disbursed in 2017, followed by the higher education sector (22%), the government sector (11%) and the private non-profit sector (1%).
This information on Research and Development in the EU is published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. R&D is a major driver of innovation, and R&D expenditure and intensity are two of the key indicators used to monitor resources devoted to science and technology worldwide.
Research and development intensity in the EU Member States
(R&D expenditure as % of GDP)
3.5
Europe 2020 objective = 3%
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
R&D intensity above 3% in Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Germany
In 2017, the highest R&D intensities were recorded in Sweden (3.33%) and Austria (3.16%), followed by Denmark (3.06%) and Germany (3.02%), all with R&D expenditure above 3% of GDP, whilst Finland (2.76%), Belgium (2.58%) and France (2.25% in 2016) registered R&D expenditure between 2.0% and 3.0% of GDP. At the opposite end of the scale, eight Member States recorded a R&D intensity below 1%: Romania (0.5%), Latvia (0.51%), Malta (0.55%), Cyprus (0.56%), Bulgaria (0.75%), Croatia (0.86%), Lithuania and Slovakia (both 0.88%).
Over the last ten years, R&D intensity rose in twenty-one Member States, with the highest increases in Austria (from 2.42% in 2007 to 3.16% in 2017, or +0.74 percentage points - pp) and Belgium (from 1.84% in 2007 to 2.58% in 2017, or +0.74 pp). Conversely, R&D intensity decreased in six Member States and most strongly in Finland (-0.59 pp) and Luxembourg (-0.33 pp). In Malta, R&D intensity remained at the level of 0.55%.
R&D intensity in the EU Member States, 2017
(R&D expenditure as % of GDP)
3.5
3.0
2.5
EU = 2.07%
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
* 2016 data instead of 2017
Highest share of R&D spending in the business enterprise sector in Slovenia and Hungary
The main sector in which R&D was performed in 2017 was the business enterprise sector in all Member States, except Cyprus and Latvia (where the higher education sector was the dominant performing sector) and Lithuania (where the share of higher education sector was the same as of business enterprise sector).
The highest shares of R&D expenditure performed in the business enterprise sector were observed in Slovenia (75%), Hungary (73%), Ireland and Sweden (both 71%), Bulgaria and Austria (both 70%), Germany (69%), Belgium and the United Kingdom (both 68%).
Highest share of R&D spending in the government sector in Romania and the higher education sector in Latvia
For the government sector, the highest shares were registered in Romania (32%), Lithuania (28%), Luxembourg and Latvia (both 26%). The highest shares of R&D conducted within the higher education sector were recorded in Latvia (47%), Portugal (43%), Cyprus (42%) and Estonia (40%).
Research and development expenditure, 2007 and 2017
R&D intensity (R&D expenditure as % of GDP) | R&D expenditure (in millions of euro) | |||
2007 | 2017 | 2007 | 2017 | |
EU | 1.77 | 2.07 | 229 601 | 318 108 |
Belgium | 1.84 | 2.58 | 6 357 | 11 336 |
Bulgaria | 0.43 | 0.75 | 140 | 389 |
Czechia | 1.31 | 1.79 | 1 801 | 3 433 |
Denmark | 2.52 | 3.06 | 5 871 | 8 948 |
Germany | 2.45 | 3.02 | 61 501 | 99 052 |
Estonia | 1.07 | 1.29 | 174 | 304 |
Ireland | 1.23 | 1.05 | 2 432 | 3 091 |
Greece | 0.58 | 1.13 | 1 342 | 2 033 |
Spain | 1.23 | 1.2 | 13 342 | 14 052 |
France* | 2.02 | 2.25 | 39 303 | 50 099 |
Croatia | 0.79 | 0.86 | 348 | 420 |
Italy | 1.13 | 1.35 | 18 231 | 23 355 |
Cyprus | 0.4 | 0.56 | 70 | 109 |
Latvia | 0.55 | 0.51 | 126 | 138 |
Lithuania | 0.8 | 0.88 | 233 | 372 |
Luxembourg | 1.59 | 1.26 | 592 | 695 |
Hungary | 0.96 | 1.35 | 977 | 1 673 |
Malta | 0.55 | 0.55 | 32 | 61 |
Netherlands | 1.67 | 1.99 | 10 342 | 14 676 |
Austria | 2.42 | 3.16 | 6 868 | 11 679 |
Poland | 0.56 | 1.03 | 1 764 | 4 834 |
Portugal | 1.12 | 1.32 | 1 973 | 2 563 |
Romania | 0.51 | 0.5 | 653 | 945 |
Slovenia | 1.42 | 1.86 | 501 | 801 |
Slovakia | 0.45 | 0.88 | 252 | 749 |
Finland | 3.35 | 2.76 | 6 243 | 6 173 |
Sweden | 3.25 | 3.33 | 11 608 | 15 811 |
United Kingdom | 1.62 | 1.67 | 36 529 | 38 898 |
Iceland | 2.55 | 2.13 | 401 | 462 |
Norway | 1.56 | 2.11 | 4 587 | 7 474 |
Switzerland** | : | 3.37 | : | 20 656 |
Montenegro* | : | 0.32 | : | 13 |
FYR of Macedonia | : | 0.35 | : | 36 |
Serbia | : | 0.93 | : | 342 |
Turkey | 0.69 | 0.96 | 3 410 | 7 245 |
China** | 1.37 | 2.06 | 35 614 | 203 202 |
Japan** | 3.34 | 3.28 | 110 116 | 129 819 |
Russia** | 1.04 | 1.1 | 10 597 | 13 437 |
South Korea** | 3.00 | 4.22 | 24 589 | 52 493 |
United States** | 2.63 | 2.76 | 277 502 | 453 261 |
: Data not available
* 2016 data instead of 2017 ** 2015 data instead of 2017
The source dataset can be foundhere.
Research and development expenditure in the EU Member States by sector of performance
(% of total)
Business enterprise | Government | Higher education | Private non-profit | |||||
2007 | 2017 | 2007 | 2017 | 2007 | 2017 | 2007 | 2017 | |
EU | 64 | 66 | 13 | 11 | 23 | 22 | 1 | 1 |
Belgium | 70 | 68 | 8 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 0 |
Bulgaria | 31 | 70 | 58 | 23 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Czechia | 58 | 63 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Denmark | 70 | 64 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
Germany | 70 | 69 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
Estonia | 47 | 47 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 40 | 2 | 1 |
Ireland | 66 | 71 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 25 | - | - |
Greece | 29 | 49 | 21 | 22 | 49 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
Spain | 56 | 55 | 18 | 18 | 26 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
France* | 63 | 64 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
Croatia | 41 | 50 | 25 | 22 | 34 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
Italy | 52 | 61 | 15 | 13 | 30 | 24 | 3 | 2 |
Cyprus | 23 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 45 | 42 | 8 | 12 |
Latvia | 33 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 43 | 47 | - | - |
Lithuania | 29 | 36 | 21 | 28 | 51 | 36 | - | - |
Luxembourg | 84 | 54 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 20 | - | - |
Hungary | 50 | 73 | 24 | 13 | 23 | 13 | - | - |
Malta | 66 | 62 | 2 | 1 | 32 | 36 | - | - |
Netherlands | 53 | 59 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 30 | - | - |
Austria | 71 | 70 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Poland | 30 | 64 | 35 | 2 | 34 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
Portugal | 51 | 51 | 9 | 5 | 30 | 43 | 10 | 2 |
Romania | 42 | 57 | 34 | 32 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Slovenia | 60 | 75 | 24 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Slovakia | 40 | 54 | 35 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
Finland | 72 | 65 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
Sweden | 73 | 71 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
United Kingdom | 63 | 68 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
* 2016 data instead of 2017
- not applicable 0 means less than 0.5%
Shares might not add up to 100% due to rounding The source dataset can be foundhere.
Geographical information
The European Union (EU) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Methods and definitions
Research and development, abbreviated as R&D, refers to creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge (including knowledge of man, culture and society), and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications.
Eurostat's statistics on R&D expenditure are compiled using guidelines laid out in theFrascati Manual (2015 edition) published by theOECD.Statistics on R&D cover intramural expenditure, in other words, all expenditures for R&D performed within enterprises or institutions in every sector of the economy in the EU Member States.
R&D intensity for a country is defined as the total R&D expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
The main analysis of R&D statistics is based on four institutional sectors of performance. These four sectors are the business enterprise sector, the government sector, the higher education sector, and the private non-profit sector. R&D expenditure data considers the research performed on the national territory, regardless of the source of funds.
Revisions and timetable
2017 data on R&D expenditure presented in this News Release are preliminary and might therefore be revised. Following national calendar for the transmission of data, updated figures will be published in March and November 2019.
For more information
Eurostatwebsite section dedicated to science, technology and innovation statistics. Eurostatdatabase on science and technology.
Eurostat website section dedicated toEurope 2020 indicators.See also Eurostat publication"Smarter. greener. more inclusive?
- Indicators to support the Europe 2020 strategy"(2018 edition).
Issued by: Eurostat Press Office | Production of data: |
Renata PALEN | Gregor KYI |
Tel: +352-4301-33 444 | Tel: +352-4301-34 553 |
eurostat-pressoffice@ec.europa.eu | gregor.kyi@ec.europa.eu |
ec.europa.eu/eurostat
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EurostatStatisticsMedia requests: Eurostat media support / Tel: +352-4301-33 408 /eurostat-mediasupport@ec.europa.eu
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EUROSTAT - European Union Statistical Office published this content on 10 January 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 10 January 2019 10:38:03 UTC