Research and Development Statistics in Europe 2026: EU Data & Trends

Last updated: June 2026 · Data source: World Bank, Eurostat, primary research

This page compiles the most important research and development statistics for 2024 in Europe. This page covers data from 27 countries, Data is sourced from the World Bank, Eurostat, and peer-reviewed research — all fully open and citable. Charts, ranked tables, and key facts are updated automatically as new data becomes available.

Key Research and Development Statistics (2024)

2.6 % GDP
Sweden — R&D expenditure (% of GDP)

Key Findings: Research and Development Statistics in 2024

The latest data shows Sweden, Belgium, Austria lead globally for r&d expenditure (% of gdp), with the highest recorded value of 2.6 % GDP. At the other end of the scale, Bulgaria, Malta, Romania record the lowest rates among the countries surveyed.

R&D expenditure (% of GDP) by Country (2024)R&D expenditure (% of GDP) by Country (2024) Sweden 2.6 Belgium 2.4 Austria 2.2 Finland 2.2 Germany 2.1 Denmark 1.9 Netherlands 1.6 Slovenia 1.5 France 1.4 Estonia 1.2 Czechia 1.2 Ireland 1.2 Portugal 1.1 Denmark 1.0 Hungary 1.0 Poland 0.9 Greece 0.8 Spain 0.8 Italy 0.8 Sweden 0.8

R&D expenditure (% of GDP) by Country — Ranked Table

#CountryR&D expenditure (% of GDP)Year
1Sweden2.6 % GDP2024
2Belgium2.4 % GDP2024
3Austria2.2 % GDP2024
4Finland2.2 % GDP2024
5Germany2.1 % GDP2024
6Denmark1.9 % GDP2024
7Netherlands1.6 % GDP2024
8Slovenia1.5 % GDP2024
9France1.4 % GDP2024
10Estonia1.2 % GDP2024
11Czechia1.2 % GDP2024
12Ireland1.2 % GDP2024
13Portugal1.1 % GDP2024
14Denmark1.0 % GDP2024
15Hungary1.0 % GDP2024
16Poland0.9 % GDP2024
17Greece0.8 % GDP2024
18Spain0.8 % GDP2024
19Italy0.8 % GDP2024
20Sweden0.8 % GDP2024
21Finland0.8 % GDP2024
22Austria0.8 % GDP2024
23Croatia0.7 % GDP2024
24Estonia0.6 % GDP2024
25Slovakia0.6 % GDP2024
26Belgium0.6 % GDP2024
27Netherlands0.6 % GDP2024
28Germany0.6 % GDP2024
29Portugal0.5 % GDP2024
30Bulgaria0.5 % GDP2024

Methodology

All statistics on this page are sourced from open-licensed public datasets. World Bank data is available under CC BY 4.0. Eurostat data is published under the Eurostat copyright notice permitting free reuse. Manual statistics are sourced from primary research publications and are cited inline. Data is refreshed automatically on a weekly basis. Where multiple years are available, the most recent complete year is shown unless otherwise noted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the latest research and development statistics?

Based on the most recent data compiled by Statsipedia, we've gathered statistics from authoritative sources including the World Bank, Eurostat, and leading research institutions. See the key statistics section above for the most up-to-date figures.

When were these research and development statistics last updated?

This page was last updated in June 2026. The underlying data points may reflect different collection years — each statistic is labelled with its source year.

Where does the research and development statistics data come from?

Our statistics are sourced from publicly available datasets including the World Bank Open Data platform (CC BY 4.0), Eurostat, and peer-reviewed research. All sources are cited inline and linked to the original publication.

Can I use these research and development statistics in my research or content?

Yes. We source data from open-license datasets (CC BY 4.0). Please attribute Statsipedia and the original data source. For commercial use, check the license of each individual source.

Sources & Methodology