Research and development gross expenditure: 2022

• An estimated total of £1.6 billion was spent on R&D in 2022 in Wales.
• R&D expenditure in Wales represented 2.3% of total UK R&D expenditure.
• Business enterprise R&D accounted for 60.1% of the total R&D expenditure in Wales, with higher education R&D accounting for 36.8%, and government R&D making up 2.8%.
• In a small region such as Wales, the level of R&D expenditure can be influenced greatly by a small number of major projects commencing or ending, meaning the time series can be volatile.

This release provides estimates of R&D performed in, and funded by, the following four sectors of the UK economy:

• business enterprise R&D (BERD)
• higher education R&D (HERD)
• government, including UK Research and Innovation R&D (GovERD)
• private non-profit organisations R&D (PNPRD)

These sectors’ R&D data are known collectively as gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD).

In this statistical publication, R&D and related concepts follow internationally agreed standards defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as published in the Frascati Manual 2015.

These figures provide the current best estimate of R&D at the UK level, but there is more uncertainty in the estimates below the UK and performing sector level. The UK totals and performing sector level research and development (R&D) figures are designated as accredited official statistics, while the remaining figures (including Wales data) have official statistics designation.

For 2022, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have a new sample for the BERD statistics that has increased the volume of data received and ensured that the BERD statistics now better reflect the level of R&D performed across the UK economy. Therefore, estimates from 2022 are not directly comparable with previous years except at the UK level.

Further information is available in the ONS release.

Statistician: Emma Horncastle
Email: economic.stats@gov.wales

Media: 0300 025 8099