29 Jul 2025
EU governments increased R&D allocations by 3% in 2024
Eurostat has published figures on government budget allocations to R&D in 2024. The total government budget for R&D in the EU is estimated to be €127.9 billion. This is about 0.71% of the EU’s total economy (GDP).
This number is higher than last year. In 2023, the budget was €123.7 billion, and has thus increased by 3.4% in one year. Compared to 2014, the R&D budget is almost 60% higher than it was 10 years ago.
On average, per person spending was at €284.70 for R&D in the 2024 budget. This is 57% more than the €181.30 per person in 2014. Luxembourg has the highest R&D budget per person, at €759.20, followed by Denmark (€586.80) and the Netherlands (€542.70). At the other end of the spectrum, Romania spends the least (€19.10 per person), with Bulgaria (€38.30) and Hungary (€58.70) also having low figures.
Every EU country has increased their R&D spending per person over the past 10 years. The biggest percentage increases took place in Latvia (up 313%), Slovenia (up 252%), and Lithuania (up 197%).
The EU spends its R&D money in different areas. About 36% of the money supports general knowledge, mainly given to universities. Another 17% also helps general knowledge projects, but in different ways. Nearly 9% supports new technology and industry, 7% goes to health research, and 6% is used for space research.
For more information: