Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Ireland
Ireland: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 1.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Ireland, 1996–2023
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for research & development spending as a share of gdp in Ireland is 1.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 3.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Ireland peaked at 1.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2001.
That places Ireland 25th out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.3% | — |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -5.9% |
| 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% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 1.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.4%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +42.8% | 1.1% | 1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 4 |
| 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 science & technology data for Ireland
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 112.64 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.1 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 5.92 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 83.58 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 8,720 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0016 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Ireland?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Ireland was 1.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2001.
- How does Ireland rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Ireland ranks 25th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research & development spending as a share 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 UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.