In 2022, R&D expenditure amounted to EUR 690.7 million. Compared to 2021, it increased by EUR 67 million, or 10.7 per cent. R&D expenditure in the higher education sector increased by EUR 32.8 million, or 15 per cent, in the business sector – by EUR 28.2 million, or 9 per cent, in government sector – by EUR 5.9 million, or 6 per cent. In 2022, the major proportion of R&D ex­pen­diture fell within the business enterprise sector – EUR 334.9 million, or 48.5 per cent of the total R&D expenditure, while in the higher education sector, such expen­diture amounted to EUR 251.7 million (36.4 per cent), in the government sector – EUR 104.1 million (15.1 per cent).

R&D expenditure

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators

In 2022, based on provisional GDP figures, total R&D expenditure in Lithuania accounted for 1.03 per cent of GDP (in 2021, 1.11 per cent). R&D expenditure in the busi­ness enterprise sector accounted for 0.5 per cent of GDP (in 2021, 0.55 per cent), in the higher education and government sectors – 0.54 per cent (in 2021, 0.56 per cent).

Expenditure on R&D by sector
EUR million

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators

In terms of source of funding, the biggest proportion of R&D expendi­ture – 38.7 per cent – was made up of business enterprise funds; government funds accounted for 31.2, foreign funds – 26.7, the funds of higher education and non-profit institutions – 3.4 per cent.

In terms of type of costs, the biggest proportion of R&D expendi­ture – 57.6 per cent of the total R&D expendi­ture (EUR  397.9 million) – was made up of labour costs; other costs accounted for 30.4 per cent (EUR 210.1 million), acquisition of tangible fixed assets – 12 per cent (EUR 82.7 million).

In 2022, R&D expenditure on basic research ac­counted for 21.9, applied research – 45.3, ex­peri­men­tal development – 32.8 per cent of the total R&D expenditure. The business sector allocated the larg­est portion of funds – 56.6 per cent – for experimental development. The largest portion of funds of higher edu­cation and govern­ment sectors was allocated for applied research (52.6 and 45.5 per cent respec­tively).

In 2022, compared to 2021, the government budget allocations on research and development increased by EUR 44.6 million (25.5 per cent). The largest proportion of funds is allocated for R&D through higher education establishments: in 2022, from public general university funds – EUR 121.7 million (in 2021, EUR 89.6 million). 

R&D expenditure by type of research
EUR million

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators

In 2022, 26 thousand employees were en­gaged in R&D activities, of whom 9 thousand – re­searchers with a scientific degree. In the institu­tions of the higher education and government sec­tors, the number of employees engaged in R&D activities (both at the main and the secondary workplace) amounted to 17.9 thousand, of whom 8.3 thousand – researchers with a scien­tific degree. In the business sector, the num­ber of employees engaged in R&D activi­ties amounted to 8 thousand, of whom 725 – re­searchers with a scien­tific degree. In the higher education and government sectors, the majority of researchers were 35–44 years old – 3,967 (27.6 per cent), 25–34 years old – 3,139 (21.8 per cent), 45–54 years old – 3,626 (25.2 per cent), while researchers aged 65 and older accounted for 6.8 per cent. In the business sector, the majority of researchers were aged 25–34 – 1,876 (38.9 per cent), aged 35–44 – 1,613 (33.4 per cent), aged 45–54 – 624 (12.9 per cent), researchers aged 65 and older accounted for 2.4 per cent of all researchers.

Researchers with a scientific degree

Naujausius ir išsamiausius duomenis rasite Rodiklių duomenų bazėje

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators

In 2022, the number of employees engaged in R&D activities in full-time units (i.e. after the recalculation of the number of employees engaged in R&D part-time into that of employees engaged in R&D full-time) totalled 15.1 thousand and, compared to 2021, increased by 1.5 per cent. The number of researchers engaged in R&D activities in full-time units increased by 2.2 per cent (from 11,036 in 2021 to 11,278 in 2022).

Human resources in science and technology compared to the labour force in the EU states, 2022
Per cent

EU 27 – 49.3%

Source: EURostat’s database, 28 September 2023

For further terms, see the Dictionary of Statistical Terms