Government budget allocations for R&D (GBARD) 2022
Reduced funding for research and development in 2022
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2022-04-14 8.00
Government budget allocations for R&D are estimated at SEK 43.5 billion in 2022, which corresponds to a decrease of SEK 540 million in fixed prices. Approximately 50 percent of all research funding during the year aims to improve General advancement of knowledge at universities and colleges. This is approximately SEK 940 million less than 2021 in fixed prices.
The approved state budget, which was approved by the swedish parlament at the beginning of the fisical year, shows that the state appropriations for R&D are estimated to decrease by approximately SEK 540 million compared with 2021 in fixed prices. The proportion of R&D funds correspond to 3.6 per cent of total appropriations and 0.8 per cent of GDP. The total reduction in R&D funding is mainly due to the expenditure area education and academic research receiving less funds to perform research in 2022.
Largest share of R&D funds for general advancement of knowledge at universities and colleges in medical and health sciences
The estimated R&D funds in the state budget are distributed according to the purpose (i.e. objective) of the R&D appropriation by using a suitable classification of socioeconomic objectives; the Nomenclature for the analysis and comparison of scientific programs and budgets (NABS 2007).
The socioeconomic objective General advancement of knowledge: R&D financed from General University Funds (GUF) was allocated the most R&D funding, at SEK 21 billion, which corresponds to 50 percent of total R&D appropriations. This means an decrease of about SEK 940 million compared with the state budget for 2020. The objective General advancement of knowledge: R&D financed from other sources than GUF was allocated the second most R&D funding which corresponds to 25 percent of the total R&D appropriations.
At universities and colleges research funding from the state budget goes to R&D in medical and health sciences where the proportion amount to 30 percent. For the gorvernment sector, excluding universities and colleges, most research funding to improve general advancement of knowledge goes to R&D in natural sciences where the proportion amounts to 34 percent.
| Socioeconomic objectives (NABS 2007) | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| NABS01 - Exploration and exploitation of the earth | 813 | 801 |
| NABS02 - Environment | 1 016 | 1 076 |
| NABS03 - Exploration and exploitation of space | 348 | 347 |
| NABS04 - Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures | 2 355 | 2 455 |
| NABS05 – Energy | 1 651 | 1 771 |
| NABS06 - Industrial production and technology | 1 028 | 1 300 |
| NABS07 - Health | 1 087 | 1 154 |
| NABS08 – Agriculture | 834 | 836 |
| NABS09 - Education | 280 | 364 |
| NABS10 - Culture, recreation, religion and mass media | 53 | 81 |
| NABS11 - Political and social systems, structures and processes | 1 096 | 1 028 |
| NABS12 - General advancement of knowledge: R&D financed from General University Funds (GUF) | 21 863 | 20 922 |
| NABS13 - General advancement of knowledge: R&D financed from other sources than GUF | 10 657 | 10 320 |
| NABS14 – Defence | 968 | 1 057 |
| Total R&D appropriations | 44 048 | 43 512 |
Facts
The forecast is based on the provisional budget of 2022.
The “Government budget allocations for R&D” survey, on which these statistics are based, highlights how much of the central government budget is used to fund R&D. Unlike regular surveys on R&D activities in various sectors of society carried out every two years by Statistics Sweden, this survey provides an up-to-date forecast of central government appropriations for R&D for the current year.
The survey follows guidelines prepared by the OECD and published in the Frascati Manual – Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development (OECD, 2015). These statistics are also subject to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020. The data is submitted to Eurostat, which produces compilations for the EU countries.
A presentation of the survey results also includes a forecast of R&D disbursements by public research foundations. These funds are presented separately and are not included in the report on total R&D funds in the central government budget.
NABS 2007
NABS is a functional classification for the analysis of public financing of research and development (R&D) on the basis of the socio-economic objectives pursued by the central governments or stated by them in drafting their budgets and programmes. It is linked to the Frascati Manual (OECD).
Fixed price calculation
This statistical news includes comparisons over time concerning government funding to R&D. All comparisons are based on fixed-price calculated price levels for 2022. Fixed price calculation is an approach used to restate (adjust for inflation) price levels and to clear any price effects that may impact expenditure levels. Fixed price calculation applies GDP deflators according to:
Deflator = (Nominal GDP)/(Real GDP)×100
Definitions and explanations
Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge.
For an activity to be an R&D activity, it must satisfy five core criteria. The activity must be:
- Novel
- Creative
- Uncertain
- Systematic; and
- Transferable and/or reproducible
Next publishing will be
The next statistical news in this series will be published in April 2023.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.