Czechia ranked 16th in EU for research investment in 2025

Czechia invested CZK 43.3 billion in research and development in 2025, around 10 percent more than a year earlier. The increase was the 10th fastest in the EU, but Czechia ranked only 16th overall, according to freshly released data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office.

Government spending on research and development amounted to 0.51 percent of GDP, compared with an EU average of 0.69 percent. Per capita, Czechia spent EUR 160.8, or 56 percent of the EU average. According to the Association for Applied Research in IT, the 10-percent increase largely reflects a rebound after weaker spending in 2024.

The association also pointed to slower growth in public research investment compared with some neighbouring countries. Over the past decade, Czechia increased spending per capita by 66 percent, compared with 158 percent in Poland and almost 500 percent in Bulgaria. It also noted that Czechia invests far less in defence technology research than the EU average.