Research and Development in Sweden 2019
Sweden’s research and development increased
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2020-10-29 9.30
In 2019, intramural R&D expenditure increased in Sweden, and R&D intensity was at its highest in over ten years.
This statistical news was corrected 2021-02-10
In Sweden, intramural R&D expenditure amounted to SEK 171.1 billion in 2019, which is 3.9 percent more than in 2018 and 4.6 percent more than in 2017 in fixed prices. The business enterprise sector is the largest sector for R&D and accounts for almost 72 percent of all expenditure, while the government sector and the higher education sector account for 4.5 percent and 23.7 percent respectively. The private non-profit sector only accounts for 0.12 percent of the expenditure on intramural R&D, although it plays a larger role as a source of finance than in R&D performance. These ratios have been more or less unchanged since the start of this time series. However, as from 2019, research funded by ALF funds (compensation for clinical research performed at university hospitals) are attributed to the government sector instead of the higher education sector, which led to a slight shift in the respective sectors’ share of total R&D expenditure.
*Higher education sector, excluding ALF funding 2019. The private non-profit sector is not included.
R&D intensity (total intramural R&D expenditure as share of GDP) rose from 3.32 percent in 2018 to 3.41 percent in 2019. This increase is due to a faster rate of increase in R&D expenditure than in GDP growth. This change follows a drop in R&D intensity between 2017 and 2018, when there was a faster growth rate of GDP than of R&D expenditure. R&D intensity peaked in 2008 (3.46 percent), when GDP fell during the financial crisis.
Within the framework of the Europe 2020 strategy, Sweden’s national target concerning R&D is that total investment in R&D should amount to 4 percent of GDP by 2020. Throughout the time series, which began in 2007, Sweden has exceeded the overall EU target in the Europe 2020 strategy of R&D intensity of 3 percent.
Men involved in research to a larger extent
Researchers and supporting R&D staff are an essential part of R&D. In total, 91 172 full-time equivalents (FTEs) were performed in intramural R&D in 2019. This is 0.9 percent less than in 2018, while it is 3.8 percent more than in 2017. In 2019, there were 7 517 FTEs performed by researchers per million inhabitants, which is an increase of 5.4 percent from 7 129 in 2017.
In 2019, men performed 68 percent of FTEs in R&D and had a researcher function to a larger extent (88 percent) than women (80 percent). This proportion has been more or less the same since the beginning of the time series in 2007. In 2019, the business enterprise sector accounted for the smallest proportion of FTEs in R&D performed by women (25.4 percent), while the government sector accounted for the largest proportion (47.2 percent).
The private non-profit sector is not included.
Research-intensive regions
Although R&D is performed throughout Sweden, some regions are more R&D-intensive than others. The largest expenditure for intramural R&D was reported in regions with metropolitan areas in Stockholm County (SEK 53 577 million), Västra Götaland County (SEK 49 083 million) and Skåne County (SEK 19 564 million).
The bubble size is proportional to expenditure on intramural R&D in the region.
In terms of intramural R&D per inhabitant, Östergötland County (SEK 29.95 thousands) is in the lead, followed by Västra Götaland County (28.44 SEK thousands) and Blekinge County (SEK 24.49 thousands). Stockholm County (SEK 22.54 thousands) is in fifth place, despite having the largest expenditure on R&D, and Skåne County (SEK 14.20 thousands) is in seventh place.
Definitions and explanations
Research and development in Sweden
Statistics Sweden conducts a yearly survey on research and development (R&D) expenditure and personnel in Sweden. In odd-numbered reference years, a survey is carried out in the business enterprise sector, the government sector and the higher education sector. For even reference years, a forecast is made based on the previous year’s survey. Thus, the current publication uses a model-based approach rather than being based on a survey on the private non-profit sector. The R&D statistics form part of the Official Statistics of Sweden.
These R&D statistics are based on concepts and definitions found in the OECD’s Frascati Manual 2015.
Publication
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.