R&D spending share of GDP in Sweden
Spending on research and development in Sweden was equal to 3.60% of GDP in 2023. The value for 2023 is the highest since 2001.
Sweden, 2023
3.60%
Change from 2022
+0.13percentage points
European Union, 2023
2.26%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023
1.56%
Position in 2023
4th of 84
R&D spending share of GDP in Sweden over time
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Sweden
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 | Sweden | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.60% | 2.26% |
| 2022 | 3.47% | 2.23% |
| 2021 | 3.42% | 2.24% |
| 2020 | 3.50% | 2.28% |
| 2019 | 3.40% | 2.21% |
| 2018 | 3.35% | 2.17% |
| 2017 | 3.39% | 2.14% |
| 2016 | 3.26% | 2.10% |
| 2015 | 3.24% | 2.10% |
| 2014 | 3.12% | 2.10% |
| 2013 | 3.28% | 2.08% |
| 2012 | 3.25% | 2.06% |
| 2011 | 3.21% | 2.00% |
| 2010 | 3.19% | 1.96% |
| 2009 | 3.41% | 1.96% |
| 2008 | 3.49% | 1.87% |
| 2007 | 3.24% | 1.79% |
| 2006 | 3.48% | 1.80% |
| 2005 | 3.36% | 1.78% |
| 2004 | 3.37% | 1.79% |
| 2003 | 3.58% | 1.82% |
| 2002 | – | 1.79% |
| 2001 | 3.87% | 1.82% |
| 2000 | – | 1.76% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- That is a change of +0.13 percentage points from 3.47% in 2022.
- Since 2013, when it was 3.28%, the figure has changed by +0.32 percentage points.
- Among the 84 countries with data for 2023, Sweden has the 4th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2023 was 2.26%.
More for Sweden
All statistics for Sweden
R&D spending share of GDP
3.52%p (Provisional)
2025 · Eurostat
Researchers per million people
8,911 per million people
2023 · World Bank
Researchers as a share of the labour force
1.99%
2024 · Eurostat
European patent applications
446.2p (Provisional) per million people
2025 · Eurostat
Scientific and technical journal articles
21,244 articles
2023 · World Bank