In 2024, government budget allocations for research and development (R&D) across the European Union (EU) reached €284.7 per capita, marking a 57.0% increase compared to 2014 (€181.3 per capita).
The highest allocations among EU countries, according to the EU statistical service, were recorded in Luxembourg (€759.2 per capita), followed by Denmark (€586.8) and the Netherlands (€542.7).
Conversely, the lowest R&D budget allocations per capita were noted in Romania (€19.1 per capita), Bulgaria (€38.3), and Hungary (€58.7), with Portugal ranking fifth from the bottom (€78.7 per capita, equivalent to 0.29% of its gross domestic product—GDP).
Eurostat highlights that changes in R&D allocations per capita may reflect variations in the countries’ populations.
The total government budget allocations for R&D in the EU were estimated at €127.916 billion, representing 0.71% of the bloc’s GDP.
This figure indicates a 3.4% growth compared to 2023 (€123.675 billion) and a 59.5% increase from 2014 (€80.175 billion).
In terms of total value, Portugal ranks 13th in the EU table, with €837.419 million, led by Germany (€44.917 billion) and with Malta at the bottom (€41.615 million).
