Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Ireland
Ireland: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP was 1.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Ireland, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.6% for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Ireland peaked at 1.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2001.
That places Ireland 28th out of 121 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.1% | — |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +12.7% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | +16.0% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -22.8% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -10.4% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | +42.8% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | +3.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More economy & growth data for Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 39.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1679 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 22,090 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 15.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9989 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 131,451 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 10.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.884 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Ireland?
- Research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp in Ireland was 1.6% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2001.
- How does Ireland rank for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 28th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).