Spending on research and development (R&D) in the European Union increased to an estimated €403.1 billion in 2024, a 3.6% increase compared to 2023.
Overall R&D expenditure in the EU has risen by 62.2% since 2014, according to Eurostat.
Nineteen EU countries saw growth in R&D intensity over this ten-year period, with the largest increases seen in Belgium (up 1 percentage point), Greece (up 0.7 percentage points), and Estonia and Croatia (both up 0.6 percentage points).
R&D intensity equal to or above 3% — the target set by the European Council — was registered in six EU countries in 2024: Sweden (3.6%), Belgium (3.4%), Austria (3.3%), Finland (3.2%), Germany (3.1%), and Denmark (3.0%).
Disparities among EU member states
Seven EU countries reported R&D intensity at or below 1%.
Romania and Malta each recorded 0.5%, Cyprus 0.7%, Bulgaria 0.8%, Latvia 0.9%, and Slovakia and Luxembourg 1.0%.
The business enterprise sector accounted for 66.5% of all EU R&D spending in 2024, equalling €268.1 billion.
Higher education institutions contributed €86.1 billion (21.4%), followed by the government sector at €43.5 billion (10.8%), and the private non-profit sector at €5.4 billion (1.3%).
