Brussels: In 2024, the EU spent an estimated pound 403.1 billion on research and development (R and D), indicating a 3.6% increase from 2023 (pound 389.2 billion). Compared with 2014, R and D expenditure grew by 62.2% from pound 248.6 billion, showing a steady rise in the last decade, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
According to Emirates News Agency, R and D intensity, defined as R and D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, remained stable at 2.2%, similar to previous years. Between 2014 and 2024, R and D intensity in the EU increased by 0.1 percentage points (pp).
Between 2014 and 2024, R and D intensity increased in 19 EU countries, with the largest increases recorded in Belgium (+1.0 pp), Greece (+0.7 pp), and Estonia and Croatia (+0.6 pp each).
In 2024, six EU countries registered an R and D intensity equal to or higher than 3%, the EU target set by the European Council for the EU. The highest R and D intensity was recorded in Sweden (3.6%), Belgium (3.4%), Austria (3.3%), and Finland (3.2%), followed by Germany (3.1%) and Denmark (3.0%).
By contrast, seven EU countries reported R and D intensity below or equal to 1%: Romania and Malta (0.5% each), Cyprus (0.7%), Bulgaria (0.8%), Latvia (0.9%), and Slovakia and Luxembourg (1.0%).
The business enterprise sector continued to account for the largest share of R and D expenditure in 2024. It represented 66.5% of EU R and D spending, totalling pound 268.1 billion. It was followed by the higher education sector (pound 86.1 billion; 21.4%), the government sector (pound 43.5 billion; 10.8%), and the private non-profit sector (pound 5.4 billion; 1.3%).