In 2016, gross domestic expenditures on R&D in Turkey jumped 19.5% to TRY 24.6 billion ($6.3 billion). Total R&D expenditures continued to steadily rise from 2010, increasing 6.8% in 2016 to represent 0.94% of the country’s GDP.

The vast majority of R&D spending came from the financial and non-financial sector, which accounted for 54% of total expenditures, while the higher education sector made up 36%. The general government sector represented the remaining 10% of R&D expenditures. By type of cost, 50% of R&D expenditures went towards labor costs, while 39% and 11% of R&D expenditures were for other current costs and capital expenditures, respectively.

The financial and non-financial sectors financed 47% of total R&D expenditures in 2016, followed by the general government, which financed 35%. Higher education and foreign funds financed 14% and 4% of total R&D expenditures, respectively, while other national sources served as financiers for 0.1% of 2016 R&D spending.

The number of full-time R&D personnel increased 12% in 2016, totaling 136,953 employees. Of this, 53% were employed in the financial and non-financial sectors and 38% worked in higher education, while 9% of personnel were from the general government and the private nonprofit sectors.

Source: Turkish Statistical Institute