Government budget allocations for Research and Development in Greece declined in 2025, while remaining significantly below the European Union average, according to preliminary Eurostat data cited by Kathimerini.
The allocations, which cover public funding for R&D activities at institutions such as universities and research centres, as well as programmes across individual scientific and technological fields, amounted to €1.275 billion in 2025, down from €1.305 billion in 2024. As a share of GDP, they fell to 0.51% from 0.55%, while funding per capita declined to €123 from €125.8. By sector, in 2025 the state allocated approximately €13.9 per capita to health research and €13.5 per capita to industry and technology research.
Research spending exceeds 1% of GDP in just two EU countries: Germany (1.03% and €553.5 per capita) and Finland (1.02% and €511 per capita).
The gap with the EU remains substantial. In 2025, government budget allocations for R&D across EU member states averaged 0.69% of GDP and €288.9 per capita — more than double the corresponding figure for Greece. Business participation in the overall funding of Research and Development is also below the European average. In Greece, businesses covered 46.5% of related expenditure in 2024, compared with approximately 56.7% in the EU.
This picture takes on particular significance in light of the recent cancellation of the €80 million “Trust your Stars” programme, which was intended to fund young researchers and collaborations between Greek universities. At the same time, significantly larger amounts were directed in previous years towards programmes subsidising consumer purchases, such as “Digital Care”, further fuelling the debate over the place research holds among the country’s priorities.
Source: Κathimerini
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