EU countries in 2023 boosted R&D budgets 5%

By Sahika Malkoc

ISTANBUL (AA) – The EU-wide total for government budget allocations for research and development (R&D) in 2023 was $135 million, up 5.3% ($128 million), Eurostat said Tuesday.

This corresponds to 0.73% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, said the bloc’s statistical authority.

The government budget for R&D at the EU level was $300 per capita, rising 53.3% from 2013 ($197 per person).

The highest allocations were seen in Luxembourg with $706 per person, followed by Denmark with $602 and Germany with $577.

On the other hand, the EU countries with the lowest R&D budgets per person were Romania at $23 per person, Bulgaria at $36, and Hungary at $52.

Among EU countries, Latvia’s R&D allocation rose 291% from $17.45 per capita in 2013 to $69 per capita in 2023, Poland’s climbed 147% from $41 to $102, and Bulgaria’s was up 133% from $15 to $36, while Hungary was the only country to see a decrease, falling 28% from $73 to $52.

The EU-wide state budget allocation for R&D in 2023 ($135 million) was 5.3% higher than in 2022 ($128 million) and 54.8% higher than in 2013 ($87.1 million).

The largest share of the 2023 government budget allocations for research and development (GBARD), 35.5%, was financed by public block grants.

In addition, 17.3% of GBARD was allocated to the general advancement of knowledge from sources other than public general university funds, followed by industrial production and technology with 11.0%, health with 6.9%, and the exploration and exploitation of space with 6.0%.