site.btaBulgaria Has EU's Second Lowest Government R&D Budget per Capita in 2024

In 2024, Bulgaria had the European Union's second lowest government budget allocations for research and development (R&D) per person, according to data released by Eurostat on Tuesday.

In 2024, the total government budget allocations for R&D across the EU stood at an estimated EUR 127,916 million, equivalent to 0.71% of GDP. This indicates a 3.4% increase compared with 2023 (EUR 123,675 million) and a 59.5% increase compared with 2014 (EUR 80,175 million). In 2024, R&D allocations at the EU level stood at EUR 284.7 per person, a 57.0% increase compared with 2014 (EUR 181.3 per person). 

The highest R&D budget allocations per person among EU countries were recorded in Luxembourg (EUR 759.2 per person), followed at some distance by Denmark (EUR 586.8 per person) and the Netherlands (EUR 542.7 per person). 

On the other hand, the lowest allocations per person were in Romania (EUR 19.1), Bulgaria (EUR 38.3) and Hungary (EUR 58.7). It should be noted as well that changes in GBARD per capita may reflect population changes of the countries.

Between 2014 and 2024, all EU governments increased their budget allocations for R&D. The largest percentage increases were recorded in Latvia (+313%, from EUR 19.1 per person in 2014 to EUR 78.9 in 2024), Slovenia (+252%, from EUR 78.3 to EUR 275) and Lithuania (+197% from EUR 42.7 to EUR 123).