Eurostat figures reveal that government budget allocations for R&D in Ireland stood at €175 per person in 2020, well below the EU average of €225.

The highest allocations were recorded in Luxembourg (€648 per person), followed at a distance by Denmark (€519) and Germany (€443). The lowest R&D budget allocations per person were in Romania (€15 per person), Bulgaria (€21), Hungary (€39) and Latvia (€42). 

Over the last decade, the largest percentage increases in government budget allocations for R&D at € per person were recorded in Latvia (from €14 in 2010 to €42 in 2020), Greece (from €62 to €148) and Estonia (from €77 to €141).

In contrast, these allocations decreased in Portugal (from €92 in 2010 to €71 in 2020), Spain (from €179 to €144), Romania (from €17 to €15), France (from €253 to €235), Ireland (from €181 to €175) and Finland (from €387 to €373).