R&D expenditure in Greece increased by 7.6% in 2024

Total R&D expenditure amounted to €3,621.36 million, compared with €3,365.11 million in 2023, marking an increase of €256.25 million.

“R&D intensity”, i.e. Research and Development expenditure as a percentage of GDP, reached 1.53%, compared with a lower rate in 2023. The increase in R&D expenditure was higher than the increase in GDP, which stood at 5.4%.

Based on R&D intensity, Greece ranks 13th among the 27 Member States of the European Union.

At the same time, the number of personnel engaged in R&D activities decreased. Total R&D personnel, measured in Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), stood at 69,124 in 2024, compared with 73,263 in 2023, representing a decrease of 5.7%.

Research personnel decreased to 50,892 FTEs from 54,679 in 2023, representing a decline of 6.9%.

Businesses Account for 54.8% of R&D Expenditure

In 2024, the business sector incurred R&D expenditure of €1,985.65 million, corresponding to 54.8% of the total. This was followed by the higher education sector, with €911.03 million, or 25.2% of the total, and the government sector, with €706.52 million, or 19.5%. R&D expenditure by private non-profit institutions amounted to €18.16 million.

Within the business sector, the industries making the largest contributions to R&D expenditure were Information and Communication, Mining and Quarrying, Financial and Insurance Activities, Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities, Wholesale and Retail Trade, and the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations.

R&D expenditure in the broader Information and Communication sector amounted to €361.43 million.

Higher Education Leads in R&D Employment

The higher education sector accounts for the largest number of full-time-equivalent positions in R&D activities, with 29,860 FTEs, corresponding to 43.2% of the total. The business sector recorded 23,012 FTEs, while the government sector accounted for 15,898 FTEs. Private non-profit institutions recorded 354 FTEs.

In higher education, expenditure was primarily allocated to basic research, amounting to €525.94 million, and applied research, amounting to €310.64 million.

The scientific fields receiving the highest levels of expenditure were Medical and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, and Social Sciences.

Businesses Are the Largest Source of Funding

Private businesses were the largest source of funding for R&D expenditure, contributing €1,682.79 million.

Government funding amounted to €1,164.46 million. Of this amount, €762.87 million came from the regular state budget, €248.72 million from European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) programmes and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and €152.87 million from the National Development Programme and other government sources. A further €476.98 million came from competitive European Union programmes.

Attica Accounts for 54.7% of R&D Expenditure

The Region of Attica accounts for the largest share of R&D activity, with expenditure of €1,982.39 million, corresponding to 54.7% of the total. Attica also recorded 34,413 R&D personnel FTEs, representing 49.8% of the national total.

In terms of R&D intensity, Central Macedonia, with 2.22%, Attica, with 1.72%, and Crete, with 1.55%, recorded rates above the national average of 1.53%.

The data are derived from EKT’s statistical survey on Research and Development activities across the business sector, higher education sector, government sector, and private non-profit institutions.