In 2012, Australian business expenditure on R&D (BERD) rose 1.7% to $18,321 million in current prices, following a 7.4% increase in 2011. Manufacturing; Mining; Financial and Insurance Services; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services contributed 24%, 22%, 16% and 16% to BERD, respectively. Mining’s contribution increased the fastest, rising 7% to $265 million. Current expenditure accounted for 93% of total BERD, but grew less than 1% due to higher labor costs. Capital expenditure represented 7% and rose 37%. Experimental development and applied research accounted for 62% and 32% of total BERD, rising 3% and 2%, respectively. Wholly Australian owned businesses represented 57% of BERD, a 1% decrease. Business human resources for R&D jumped 14.9% to 64,906 person years of efforts (PYE). Researcher PYE grew 16% to make up 50% of total PYE.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics