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In 2016 European Union member states earmarked, on average, 2.03 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for research (R&D), with Latvia and Romania ranking second to last, allocating only 0.44 percent, 0.48 percent of the GDP, respectively, according to data published on Saturday by Eurostat.
Overall, EU member states spent over 300 billion euro for research and development in 2016, but the percentage of the GDP allocated to research remained practically stable compared to 2015.
However, between 2006 and 2016, the percentage of the GDP allocated to research in the EU increased from 1.76 percent up to 2.03 percent, while in Romania it remained basically unchanged, 0.45 percent of the GDP in 2006 and 0.48 percent of the GDP in 2016.
In almost all EU member states, including in Romania, the companies of the business area represent the main sector responsible for expenditures on research and development, followed by higher education sector, government sector and nonprofit private sector. However, Romania is ranked first in the EU when it comes to the share of R&D spending in the government sector (33 percent), three times more than the EU average (11 percent).
AGERPRES .
