Increase in Expenditure and Employment in Research & Development in 2023

In 2023, Research & Development (R&D) expenditure in Greece reached €3.37 billion, while employment amounted to 73,263 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, according to the final data published by the National Documentation Centre (EKT). The “R&D Intensity” index remained at 1.49% of GDP, stable compared with 2022. Businesses covered 49.3% of total expenditure, while higher education and the public sector also made significant contributions. The Attica Region concentrated the largest share of both R&D expenditure and employment, with the highest R&D intensity values recorded in Epirus, Attica, Crete, Western Greece, and Central Macedonia.

More specifically, in 2023, total R&D expenditure in Greece amounted to €3,365.12 million, an increase of €294.82 million compared with 2022 (a growth rate of 9.6%). Combined with an 8.3% increase in GDP in 2023, the “R&D Intensity” index—expressing R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP—stood at 1.49%, remaining at the same level as in 2022. At the European level, Greece ranked 15th among the EU-27 countries in terms of R&D intensity.

At the same time, the number of personnel employed in R&D activities, expressed in Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), increased to 73,263 in 2023 from 69,307 in 2022 (a rise of 12.2%). Of these, research staff accounted for 54,679 FTEs compared with 51,611 in 2022 (a rise of 5.9%). At the European level, Greece ranked 12th among the EU-27 countries in terms of total R&D personnel in FTEs.

The results come from EKT’s statistical survey, conducted in 2024 across institutions with R&D activity in four sectors: Business Enterprise (BES), Higher Education (HES), Government (GOV), and Private Non-Profit Institutions (PNP). They are published in the edition “Key R&D Indicators for Expenditure and Personnel in Greece, 2023” (https://metrics.ekt.gr/publications/737).

R&D Expenditure by Sector

The business sector accounted for 49.3% of total R&D expenditure (€1,657.94 million), continuing its upward trend in recent years. In 2023, the economic sectors with the largest contributions were: “Information & Communication” (€312.85 million), “Wholesale & Retail Trade” (€217.73 million), “Financial & Insurance Activities” (€194.64 million), and “Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities” (€193.45 million). R&D expenditure in the overall Information & Communication sector (including both Manufacturing and Services) amounted to €395.05 million.

In terms of employment, businesses accounted for 22,628 FTEs (30.9% of the total), of which 17,001 were research staff.

The second-largest sector by R&D expenditure was Higher Education, which includes universities, university research institutes, and university hospitals. In 2023, the sector’s R&D expenditure totaled €982.55 million (29.2% of total national R&D). Activities focused on basic research (€524.85 million) and applied research (€371.87 million). The fields with the highest spending were: “Medical & Health Sciences” (€259.30 million), “Social Sciences” (€223.20 million), and “Engineering & Technology” (€216.12 million).

Higher Education employed the largest share of R&D personnel in 2023, totaling 33,335 FTEs (45.5% of the total), of which 27,566 were research staff.

The Government sector’s R&D expenditure amounted to €707.86 million (21% of the national total). It includes organizations supervised by various ministries, such as research centers overseen by the General Secretariat for Research & Innovation, public research institutes under other ministries, archaeological services, museums, public hospitals, and institutions under the Ministry of National Defence.

Government R&D activities in 2023 covered both basic research (€278.25 million) and applied research (€294.65 million). The main fields were “Medical & Health Sciences” (€208.48 million), “Humanities & Arts” (€141.20 million), and “Engineering & Technology” (€137.67 million). Employment in the government sector stood at 16,948 FTEs (23.1% of the total), of which 9,855 were researchers.

Finally, the Private Non-Profit (PNP) sector recorded €16.77 million in R&D expenditure in 2023, with 352 FTEs employed (0.5% of the total), of which 256 were research staff.

Funding Sources and Regional Dimension

The largest share of R&D funding in 2023 came from the state, totaling €1,358.88 million. This included €772.72 million from the regular state budget, €453.22 million from EU structural funds (ESPA) and the Recovery & Resilience Facility, and €132.94 million from the National Development Programme and other state sources. Business investments were also substantial, amounting to €1,342.01 million, while €408.68 million came from the participation of Greek organizations in competitive EU programs.

Regionally, Attica concentrated the largest share of R&D expenditure (€1,921.80 million, or 57.1% of the total) and R&D personnel (36,036 FTEs, or 49.2%). The “R&D Intensity” index—measuring R&D expenditure as a percentage of each region’s GDP—was above the national average in Epirus (1.81%), Attica (1.75%), Crete (1.67%), Western Greece (1.55%), and Central Macedonia (1.52%).

The statistics and indicators on Research, Development, and Innovation in Greece follow European standards and are produced by the National Documentation Centre (EKT), the national authority of the Hellenic Statistical System. They constitute the official national data submitted to and published by Eurostat and the OECD. They are also available in printed and electronic publications and data tables on EKT’s website: http://metrics.ekt.gr.