2025
R&D expenditure increases slightly while R&D intensity is unchanged in 2025
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2026-06-25 8.00
According to preliminary data, Sweden’s total intramural expenditure on research and development (R&D) amounted to SEK 233.7 billion in 2025 and the number of persons employed in R&D activities amounted to 108 852 full-time equivalents. R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a share of GDP, is estimated at 3.51 percent.
Sweden’s total intramural expenditure on R&D amounted to SEK 233.7 billion in 2025, an increase of SEK 2.2 billion compared with 2024 at 2025 price levels. R&D activities in Sweden continue to be concentrated in the business enterprise sector, which accounted for close to three-quarters of total R&D expenditure. The increase between the years is mainly explained by higher R&D expenditure in the business enterprise sector. At the same time, the higher education sector decreased its R&D expenditure slightly, while the government sector increased its expenditure.
The higher education sector accounted for 22 percent of R&D expenditure, corresponding to just over SEK 51 billion. The government sector accounted for 4.6 percent, corresponding to just under SEK 11 billion. The private non-profit sector accounted for 0.2 percent of total R&D expenditure.
R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a share of GDP, amounted to 3.51 percent in 2025. This is a marginal decrease of 0.02 percentage points compared with 2024.
Unchanged R&D intensity in 2025, but higher than ten years ago
Definitions and explanations
Research and Development (R&D)
Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge and to devise new applications of available knowledge in all fields of science.
To be defined as R&D, an activity must be:
Novel: An R&D activity undertaken in order to generate new knowledge and to devise new applications of available knowledge.
Creative: R&D activities based on original concepts or hypotheses.
Uncertain: The final outcome of R&D activities is generally uncertain. There is also uncertainty related to the cost or time needed to achieve the expected results.
Systematic: R&D activities are performed systematically and are planned and budgeted.
Transferable and/or reproducible: An R&D activity should lead to results that could possibly be transferable and/or reproducible.
Intramural R&D
Activities carried out in Sweden by the organisation’s own personnel or by consultants in an R&D project led by the organisation, in the organisation’s own R&D activities. Intramural R&D also includes R&D carried out by commission.
Full-time equivalent in R&D
A full-time equivalent in R&D corresponds to the work a full-time employee performs over one year. A full-time employee who dedicates half their working time to R&D contributes with 0.5 full-time equivalents.
Private non-profit sector
Intramural R&D expenditures in the private non-profit sector are included in estimated totals. As the sector is relatively small in comparison to other sectors, the statistics are not reported separately throughout.
Fixed price calculation
Comparisons over time are presented in the 2025 price level to remove any price effects. For fixed price calculation, a GDP deflator is used, which is calculated according to:
Deflator =(Nominal GDP/Fixed price GDP)*100
Publication
More about research and development (R&D) during 2025 is presented in the report Research and Development in Sweden 2025 – Preliminary Statistics (available in Swedish only). The report also covers R&D personnel by sector and occupation.
Comments
The Private non-profit sector is included in the calculation of the R&D intensity but is not represented in the stacked bar chart due to its limited contribution.