R&D expenditures in Türkiye exceeded 980.4 billion lira last year

Turkish Statistical Institute announced the results of the "2025 Research and Development Activities Survey".

Accordingly, gross domestic R&D expenditure increased by 328 billion 607 million lira in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 980 billion 428 million lira.

The ratio of gross domestic R&D expenditure in gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 1.46 percent in 2024 to 1.5 percent in 2025.

Financial and non-financial companies had the largest share in R&D expenditures with 65 percent. This was followed by higher education institutions with 30.3 percent. The share of R&D expenditures of general government and non-profit organizations was calculated as 4.7 percent.

Among R&D expenditures, personnel expenditures constituted the largest expenditure item with 58.8 percent.

Financial and non-financial companies financed 52.5 percent of R&D expenditures in 2025. General government covered 31.1 percent of these expenditures, higher education covered 14.1 percent, foreign sources covered 2.3 percent and other domestic sources covered approximately 0.01 percent.

In terms of full time equivalent (FTE), a total of 317 thousand 982 people worked as R&D personnel in 2025. Looking at the distribution of personnel by sectors, last year 67.9 percent of the total R&D personnel in terms of FTE were in financial and non-financial companies, 29 in higher education and 3 percent in general government and non-profit organizations.

The number of female R&D personnel in terms of FTE constituted 34.1 percent of the total number of R&D personnel with 108 thousand 453 people in 2025. By sectors, the rate of female R&D personnel in terms of FTE was recorded as 48.1 percent in higher education, 32.2 percent in general government and non-profit organizations, and 28.2 percent in financial and non-financial companies.

Source: TRT Haber Ekonomi RSS (Open Press / Translated Full Text)