emirates7 - In 2023, the European Union invested €381.4 billion in research and development (R&D), marking a 6.7% increase from the previous year (€357.4 billion) and a 57.9% rise compared to 2013 (€241.5 billion).

R&D intensity, which measures R&D spending as a percentage of GDP, remained steady at 2.2% compared to 2022. Over the decade from 2013 to 2023, R&D intensity in the EU grew by 0.1 percentage points.

Between 2013 and 2023, 19 EU countries saw an increase in R&D intensity, with the largest gains in Belgium (1.0 pp), Poland (0.7 pp), and Greece (0.7 pp).

In 2023, five EU nations recorded an R&D intensity above 3%. Sweden led with 3.6%, followed by Belgium and Austria at 3.3% each, and Germany and Finland, both at 3.1%.

On the other hand, five EU countries had an R&D intensity below 1%: Romania (0.5%), Malta (0.6%), Cyprus (0.7%), Bulgaria, and Latvia (both 0.8%).

The business enterprise sector remained the largest contributor to EU R&D spending, accounting for 66% (€253.1 billion). This was followed by higher education (€81.7 billion or 21%), the government sector (€41.0 billion or 11%), and the private non-profit sector (€5.5 billion or 1%).