Israeli spending on civilian R&D rose 3.6% in constant prices last year to NIS 35.3 billion ($9.2 billion), or 4.9% of GDP. R&D expenditures by business grew 4.5% to make up 81% of the county’s total R&D spending. R&D spending by private nonprofit institutions increased 2.5% to represent 3% of the country’s R&D spending. General government and higher education’s R&D spending fell 1% and 0.05%, respectively, to represent 4% and 12% of Israel’s 2008 R&D spending. R&D spending growth by all four sectors fell in 2008. Forty-eight percent of civilian R&D spending by government ministries was for research advancement. Advancement of industrial technology accounted for 36% of ministries’ R&D spending.

Source: Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics