EU27 R&D spending stable at 1.84% of GDP in 2006

In 2006, the EU27 spent 1,84% of GDP on Research & Development1 (R&D), in 2005, R&D intensity (ie 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.

Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities publishes the 2008 edition of Science, Technology and Innovation in Europe2. This publication covers a wide range of indicators in
line with the strategic goals set out by the European Council in the Lisbon strategy aiming to turn the European union by 2010 into the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in
the world. The indicators include R&D expenditure, R&D personnel, patents, venture capital, high-tech external trade and other indicators related to hightech and knowledge intensive
sectors of the economy.
In this News Release Eurostat presents a limited selection of the data available in the publication.

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%).