Ankara:Türkiye's expenditure on research and development (R&D) rose significantly to 980.4 billion Turkish liras ($24.8 billion) in 2025, marking 1.55% of the nation's gross domestic product, as revealed by official data on Friday.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the increase in R&D spending amounted to 328.61 billion liras ($8.3 billion) compared to the previous year, when the expenditure ratio was 1.46% of GDP, as reported by the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The largest share of R&D spending came from financial and non-financial corporations, which accounted for 65% of the total. Higher education institutions followed with a 30.3% share, while the general government sector, including private non-profit organizations, contributed 4.7%. Personnel costs were the largest expenditure category, making up 58.8% of total R&D spending.

Corporations also led the way in funding research activities, providing 52.5% of the total funding. The general government contributed 31.1%, higher education 14.1%, and foreign sources 2.3%. The number of full-time equivalent R&D personnel increased to 317,982 in 2025.

The corporate sector employed 67.9% of these personnel, higher education employed 29%, and the government sector employed 3%. Female personnel constituted 34.1% of the R&D workforce, totaling 108,453 individuals. In higher education, women made up 48.1% of the staff, while government institutions and corporations had 32.2% and 28.2% female staff, respectively.

The USD/TRY exchange rate averaged 39.55 last year. Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir stated that the country achieved record levels in R&D activities, with expenditures rising from $19.8 billion to $24.8 billion in 2025 and R&D human resources reaching 318,000. He emphasized the continuous advancement of Türkiye's R&D and innovation ecosystem, supported by universities, technoparks, R&D and design centers, innovative ventures, and researchers.