Government budget appropriations for defence 2006-2026
New report: Government budget allocations for defence- R&D 2006–2026
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2026-06-04 8.00
In recent years, defence has emerged as a government priority, with historically large investments being made. A new report from Statistics Sweden examines the consequences this has had for defence-related research and development (R&D), analysing developments in the field over the period 2006–2026. Over time, both the defence budget and associated R&D funding have undergone significant changes. Much of this shift is driven by direct research appropriations to the defence sector and funding allocated to the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). More recently, R&D funding for civil defence has also increased substantially. Sweden stands out for allocating a larger share of public funds to defence compared with both its Nordic neighbours and the EU as a whole.
This new report presents a review and analysis of government funding for defence-related research and development (R&D), together with a broader overview of defence appropriations, covering the period from 2006 to 2026. The report compares funding over time at both detailed and aggregate levels, placing developments in the context of historical statistics. Its primary focus is on the latter part of the period, where the most significant changes can be observed. It also includes comparisons between Swedish data and that of its Nordic neighbours and the EU.
“The changes in the defence sector in recent years have been historic, and this is particularly evident in the research funding for defence,” says Philip von Schéele, economist and statistician at Statistics Sweden.
The share of R&D within defence appropriations reaches its lowest level
At the appropriation level, we can see that developments in recent years have primarily been driven by more direct research funding for defence and allocations to the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). At the same time, the composition of the individual budget items has changed somewhat over time. At the beginning of the period, a large share of research funding was included within the appropriation for materiel procurement. The appropriation related to operational units has also seen its contribution to publicly funded R&D shift over the period. By contrast, funding allocated to the Swedish Defence University and to officer education has remained very stable throughout most of the period studied.
A shift in the focus of defence research from materiel-related R&D to FOI and direct research appropriations
Compared to other countries, Sweden stands out. Among its Nordic neighbours, Sweden is projected in 2026 to have the highest share of government R&D funding allocated to defence-related purposes. Both Sweden and Norway have significantly increased their shares since 2022, whereas Finland and Denmark have remained much more stable. At the EU level as well, Sweden is above the average, both in terms of the share of publicly funded research devoted to defence and the proportion of GDP allocated to defence overall.
Sweden and Norway prioritise defence R&D the most
Publication
The report can be found here: Försvar, forskning, förändring? 2006-2026 (in Swedish)