Research and Development – Greece Lags Behind EU, Ranks 19th

While the European Union saw an increase in government budget allocations for Research and Development (R&D) in 2024—reaching €284.70 per capita, a 57% rise compared to €181.30 in 2014—Greece continues to trail behind the rest of the bloc, allocating just €125.50 per person. That figure is less than half the EU average and places Greece behind countries such as Estonia, Cyprus, and Lithuania.

Greece’s trajectory over the past six years has been underwhelming. In 2018, per capita R&D spending stood at €104.10, rising to €136.50 in 2020 and peaking at €147 in 2022. Since then, the figure has declined, falling to €123 in 2023 and €125.50 in 2024—below levels recorded four years ago.

The country ranked 19th in the EU in 2024 in terms of the share of government budget allocated to R&D.

Speaking at the “Brain Retain & Regain” conference, Secretary General for Research and Innovation Tasos Gaitanis said R&D spending in Greece has risen by 20% over the past four years, and that the number of scientists employed in the Greek industrial sector has increased from 1,900 to 4,200. “For six years now, as a government, we’ve been creating opportunities and prospects by strengthening the connection between research and the business sector,” he said, while also acknowledging that “we need to invest more in research to further support startup growth and make our country an attractive destination for investment.”

However, newly released Eurostat data paint a less optimistic picture. Greece remains in 19th place in the EU in terms of the share of spending on research & development from the national budget in 2024, with only marginal improvement from 2023.

Between 2014 and 2024, the EU’s R&D budget credits rose from 0.68% to 0.71% of GDP. In comparison, Greece’s increased from 0.44% to just 0.55%, highlighting the persistent gap between Greece and the EU average despite moderate progress.

The highest R&D allocations per capita were recorded in Luxembourg (€759.20), followed by Denmark (€586.80) and the Netherlands (€542.70). On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest figures came from Romania (€19.10), Bulgaria (€38.30), and Hungary (€58.70).

Source: Tovima.com