R&D in Poland
How much Poland spends on research and development, who carries it out, who pays for it and how Poland compares with the EU.
R&D – research and experimental development – is work that increases knowledge and finds new uses for it, from basic research in a laboratory to development work in a company. Official statistics measure it according to the Frascati Manual (OECD), so countries can be compared.
How to read the figures
The main indicator is GERD – gross domestic expenditure on R&D – given in złoty and as a share of GDP. Statistics distinguish the sector that performs research (businesses, universities, government) from the sector that funds it (the state budget, companies, foreign funds). National data come from Statistics Poland (GUS); international and regional comparisons from Eurostat.
In brief
In 2025, gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) in Poland was PLN 58.8 billion, or 1.50% of GDP (1.41% in 2024). Since 2015 it has grown from PLN 18.1 billion. Most research is performed by businesses – 64.9% of expenditure in 2025.
Who performs research
The performing sector is where research is actually carried out (PLN million).
| Sector | 2024 | 2025 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business enterprise | 32,584.7 | 38,155.1 | 64.9% |
| Government | 1,076.3 | 1,271.7 | 2.2% |
| Higher education | 17,718.9 | 19,251.1 | 32.8% |
| Private non-profit | 98.2 | 85.3 | 0.1% |
Who pays for it
The funding sector shows where the money comes from (PLN million). “Rest of the world” includes foreign funds.
| Sector | 2024 | 2025 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business enterprise | 29,792.6 | 34,541.4 | 58.8% |
| Government | 18,210.3 | 19,222.2 | 32.7% |
| Higher education | 1,450.2 | 1,731.9 | 2.9% |
| Private non-profit | 80.0 | 96.7 | 0.2% |
| Rest of the world | 1,944.9 | 3,171.0 | 5.4% |
Source: Statistics Poland (GUS), Research and experimental development in Poland in 2025 (tables 1–3). How the indicator is calculated and why it is comparable between countries is explained on Frascati.science.
Poland compared with the European Union
Since 2012, R&D expenditure in Poland has risen from 0.88% to 1.40% of GDP (2024). The gap to the EU average is 0.86 percentage points.
R&D in the regions
R&D spending is very unevenly distributed in Poland: from 0.36% to 2.65% of regional GDP. Highest shares in 2024: Warsaw capital region – 2.65%, Lesser Poland – 2.49%, Pomeranian – 2.12%. European statistics split the Masovian Voivodeship into two regions: the Warsaw capital region and Masovian regional.