R&D spending share of GDP in Ireland
Spending on research and development in Ireland was equal to 1.49% of GDP in 2025.
The latest value carries the source flag “Provisional”.
Ireland, 2025
1.49%p (Provisional)
Change from 2024
−0.10percentage points
European Union, 2024
2.26%e (Estimated)
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025
1.57%
R&D spending share of GDP in Ireland over time
View
Ireland
European Union
×
The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of GDP. Source: Eurostat. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Ireland | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.49%p (provisional) | – |
| 2024 | 1.59% | 2.26%e (estimated) |
| 2023 | 1.56% | 2.25%e (estimated) |
| 2022 | 1.53%be (break in time series, estimated) | 2.22%e (estimated) |
| 2021 | 1.07% | 2.24%e (estimated) |
| 2020 | 1.13% | 2.28%e (estimated) |
| 2019 | 1.14% | 2.21%e (estimated) |
| 2018 | 1.08%e (estimated) | 2.17%e (estimated) |
| 2017 | 1.21% | 2.14% |
| 2016 | 1.15% | 2.10%e (estimated) |
| 2015 | 1.14% | 2.10% |
| 2014 | 1.48% | 2.09%e (estimated) |
| 2013 | 1.54%e (estimated) | 2.08%e (estimated) |
| 2012 | 1.55%e (estimated) | 2.06%e (estimated) |
| 2011 | 1.54%e (estimated) | 2.00%e (estimated) |
| 2010 | 1.60%e (estimated) | 1.96%e (estimated) |
| 2009 | 1.61%e (estimated) | 1.96%e (estimated) |
| 2008 | 1.39% | 1.87%e (estimated) |
| 2007 | 1.23% | 1.79%e (estimated) |
| 2006 | 1.20% | 1.80%e (estimated) |
| 2005 | 1.19% | 1.78%e (estimated) |
| 2004 | 1.18% | 1.79%e (estimated) |
| 2003 | 1.12% | 1.82%e (estimated) |
| 2002 | 1.06% | 1.83%e (estimated) |
| 2001 | 1.05% | 1.82%e (estimated) |
Flags: e estimated; be break in time series, estimated; p provisional . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.10 percentage points from 1.59% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 1.14%, the figure has changed by +0.35 percentage points.
More for Ireland
All statistics for Ireland
R&D spending share of GDP
1.59%
2023 · World Bank
Researchers per million people
5,753 per million people
2023 · World Bank
Researchers as a share of the labour force
1.11%
2024 · Eurostat
European patent applications
216.7p (Provisional) per million people
2025 · Eurostat
Scientific and technical journal articles
8,720 articles
2023 · World Bank