In 2006, the EU27 spent 1.84% of GDP on Research & Development (R&D). In 2005, R&D intensity (i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP) was also 1.84% and in 2000 it was 1.86%. In 2006, R&D expenditure in the EU27 amounted to more than 210 billion euro, compared with 170 billion euro in 2000.

R&D intensity varies from 0.4% of GDP in Cyprus to 3.8% in Sweden

In 2006, the highest R&D intensity in the EU27 was registered in Sweden (3.82% of GDP) and Finland (3.45%), followed by Germany (2.51%), Austria (2.45%) and Denmark (2.43%). The Member States with the lowest R&D intensity were Cyprus (0.42%), Romania (0.46%), Bulgaria (0.48%) and Slovakia (0.49%).

The highest increases in R&D intensity between 2000 and 2006 were found in Austria (from 1.91% to 2.45%), Estonia (from 0.61% to 1.14%) and the Czech Republic (from 1.21% to 1.54%).

Together, Germany (58 billion euro in 2006), France (38 bn) and the United Kingdom (32 bn in 2005) spent around 60% of total R&D expenditure in the EU27.

Highest proportion of scientists and engineers in Belgium, Ireland and Finland

In 2006, 4.8% of the labour force in the EU27 worked as scientists or engineers3. The highest shares of scientists and engineers were found in Belgium (7.9%), Ireland (6.8%), Finland (6.7%), Sweden (6.5%) and Denmark (6.0%), and the lowest shares in Portugal (2.7%), Bulgaria, Austria and Slovakia (all 3.0%).