Lowest Public Research Investment in Romania Among EU Countries: EU Nations Ranked
Lowest Research Budget Among EU Countries: The Sad Reality of Romania's Science Sector
Let's face it, Romania isn't exactly lighting up the European research scene. In a recent eye-opening infographic from Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Romania, we learn that the natural beauty of our country isn't the only thing trailing behind - our investment in scientific research is as well.
In 2023, Romania allocated a meager 0.38% of its GDP to scientific research, ranking smack-dab at the bottom of the EU for public investment in research and development. That's a slight increase from 2022, when the investment stood at 0.35%, but it's still less than the 0.41% recorded in 2021.
Compared to our neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe, we're lagging behind Bulgaria (0.58%), Hungary (0.63%), Slovakia (0.76%), Slovenia (1.35%), and Lithuania (1.01%). When pitted against Western European powerhouses, the gap widens significantly: Germany (2.18%), Denmark (1.86%), the Netherlands (1.85%), Finland (1.54%), and Sweden (1.46%) are far ahead.
The report delved into government funding for research and development as a percentage of GDP, spotlighting Romania's persistent underfunding of this sector.
Now, you might think that financial constraints are the sole culprit here, but Romania also has the lowest employment rate in the research and development sector within the EU. In 2022, our proudly few researchers numbered at just 29,837, with 16,078 being men and a paltry 13,759 women. Measured as a share of total employment, researchers accounted for only 0.25% in 2022 and an equally dismal 0.27% in 2023, earning Romania a dubious position at the bottom of the EU rankings.
According to Eurostat, a majority of our researchers are more likely to be found in the government sector rather than in private industry or higher education institutions. Even small island countries such as Malta (0.43%) and Cyprus (0.34%) have a higher percentage of researchers within their workforce. Bulgaria (0.58%) and Hungary (0.97%) also outshine Romania, while Eastern European countries like Lithuania (0.77%), Poland (0.85%), the Czech Republic (1%), and Estonia (1%) are significantly ahead.
So why is Romania so far behind? General government expenditure context plays a part - our government expenditures-to-GDP ratio is lower than the EU average, indicating a trend of lower public spending across various sectors. Romania also grapples with significant fiscal challenges, including a high public deficit and pressure to lower it, which might prioritize other expenditure areas over research to manage immediate needs. Economic growth and political instability could further impact budget allocation decisions, leading to less focus on long-term research initiatives.
In a nutshell, it appears that Romania is grappling with a perfect storm of economic, political, and fiscal challenges that have left the nation's research sector stranded in the shallow end. If we can't get our collective research act together, we risk falling even further behind the scientific powerhouses of the EU.
(Photo source: Lukeqiang/Dreamstime.com)
For more insights on the topic, check out our expert analysis on Romania's government expenditures-to-GDP ratio and Romania's fiscal challenges, or contact our reporter, [email protected]**
- Despite its potential in various fields such as technology and education-and-self-development, Romania struggles to invest in technology and human resources, with a low employment rate in medical-conditions research and development.
- As one of the EU countries with the lowest research budget, Romania's investments in science and finance are evidently misaligned, especially when compared to advanced nations like Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden.
- Ironically, Romania's sports sector might surpass its scientific sector in terms of investment sizing, as the government struggles to allocate sufficient resources to research and development, impacting the nation's competitiveness on the global scale.
