European governments allocated an estimated EUR 130.2 billion, or 0.69% of their combined GDP, to research and development in 2025, according to a Eurostat analysis published on Friday, August 7. 

The sum represents an increase of 2.4% compared to 2024 (EUR 127.14 billion) and an increase of 60.5% compared to 2015 (EUR 81.13 billion). 

In 2025, on average, government budget allocations for research and development at EU level amounted to EUR 288.9 per inhabitant, an increase of 57.7% compared to 2015 (EUR 183.2 per inhabitant). Luxembourg (EUR 917.2 per inhabitant) recorded the highest budget allocations for research and development per capita among the EU member countries. It was followed by Denmark (EUR 627.1) and Germany (EUR 553.5). 

At the opposite end, the lowest values were recorded in Romania (EUR 18.8), Hungary (EUR 57.4) and Malta (EUR 73.7). Moreover, compared to 2015, Romania (-9.6%) was the only EU country that recorded a decrease in budget allocations for research and development expressed in euros per inhabitant, from EUR 20.8 in 2015 to EUR 18.8 in 2025.

The other EU countries recorded increases ranging from +14.7% in Sweden (from EUR 363.4 per inhabitant in 2015 to EUR 416.7 in 2025) to +495.5% in Bulgaria (from EUR 15.5 to EUR 92.3).

As regards the distribution according to socio-economic objectives, 37.3% of the amount was allocated to the general advancement of knowledge, financed mainly through a global public grant known as public general university funds, used by public higher education institutions to support their activities. In addition, 18.4% of R&D funds were allocated to the general advancement of knowledge from sources other than the general university funds, 9.5% to industrial production and technology, 6.7% to health, and 5.8% to defense.

radu@romania-insider.com

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