R&D spending share of GDP in Ireland
Spending on research and development in Ireland was equal to 1.59% of GDP in 2023. The value for 2023 is the highest since 2010.
Ireland, 2023
1.59%
Change from 2022
+0.06percentage points
European Union, 2023
2.26%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023
1.56%
Position in 2023
24th of 84
R&D spending share of GDP in Ireland over time
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Ireland
European Union
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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: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Ireland | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1.59% | 2.26% |
| 2022 | 1.53% | 2.23% |
| 2021 | 1.07% | 2.24% |
| 2020 | 1.12% | 2.28% |
| 2019 | 1.14% | 2.21% |
| 2018 | 1.08% | 2.17% |
| 2017 | 1.21% | 2.14% |
| 2016 | 1.15% | 2.10% |
| 2015 | 1.14% | 2.10% |
| 2014 | 1.48% | 2.10% |
| 2013 | 1.54% | 2.08% |
| 2012 | 1.55% | 2.06% |
| 2011 | 1.54% | 2.00% |
| 2010 | 1.59% | 1.96% |
| 2009 | 1.61% | 1.96% |
| 2008 | 1.39% | 1.87% |
| 2007 | 1.23% | 1.79% |
| 2006 | 1.20% | 1.80% |
| 2005 | 1.19% | 1.78% |
| 2004 | 1.18% | 1.79% |
| 2003 | 1.12% | 1.82% |
| 2002 | 1.06% | 1.79% |
| 2001 | 1.05% | 1.82% |
| 2000 | 1.08% | 1.76% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- That is a change of +0.06 percentage points from 1.53% in 2022.
- Since 2013, when it was 1.54%, the figure has changed by +0.05 percentage points.
- Among the 84 countries with data for 2023, Ireland has the 24th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2023 was 2.26%.
More for Ireland
All statistics for Ireland
R&D spending share of GDP
1.49%p (Provisional)
2025 · Eurostat
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