| Unit | 2017-18 | 2019-20 | 2021-22 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditure on R&D - Current prices | $m | 17,438 | 18,171 | 20,642 | 24,410 |
| Expenditure on R&D - Chain volume measures(a) | $m | 19,853 | 20,382 | 22,141 | 24,410 |
| Human resources devoted to R&D | PYE | 74,991 | 77,724 | 91,414 | 104,172 |
- The reference year for chain volume measures is 2023-24. Refer to the Chain volume measures section of the Methodology page for details.
Subsequent expenditure figures and supporting commentary relate to current price terms.
BERD as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 0.9% in 2023-24, unchanged since 2017-18.
Business expenditure on R&D (BERD)
- Industries are ranked by 2023-24 BERD.
The three industries with the greatest contribution to BERD were:
- Professional, scientific and technical services ($9,171 million or 38%)
- Manufacturing ($5,047 million or 21%)
- Financial and insurance services ($3,479 million or 14%)
Together, these three industries accounted for nearly three-quarters (73%) of total BERD.
BERD and Gross State Product (GSP)
The state or territory with the highest level of BERD as a proportion of GSP was New South Wales (1.17%). The state or territory recording the largest increase in the BERD/GSP ratio was South Australia (up 0.16 percentage points), followed by New South Wales (up 0.11 percentage points) and Tasmania (up 0.09 percentage points).
| NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | NT | ACT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 1.17 | 1.15 | 0.59 | 0.68 | 0.43 | 0.85 | 0.17 | 0.39 |
| 2021-22 | 1.06 | 1.14 | 0.56 | 0.52 | 0.42 | 0.76 | (b)0.21 | 0.41 |
| 2019-20 | 1.03 | 1.04 | 0.62 | 0.65 | 0.45 | 0.78 | 0.18 | 0.44 |
| 2017-18 | 1.14 | 1.03 | 0.55 | 0.76 | 0.62 | 0.60 | 0.13 | 0.58 |
- Refer to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross State Product (GSP) section of the Methodology page for details.
- Estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use.
Location of expenditure
Location of expenditure relates to the region in which the R&D activity was performed. Refer to the Location of expenditure section of the Methodology page for more information.
- New South Wales and Victoria continued to have the highest levels of BERD, $9,630 million (39% of total BERD) and $6,953 million (28% of total BERD).
- In 2023-24, BERD in New South Wales recorded the largest increase in dollar terms, up $2,130 million, followed by Victoria, up $1,004 million.
- By location, the largest decrease for Australian businesses undertaking research and development was overseas, down $505 million (29%) to $1,209 million, followed by the Northern Territory, down $11 million (17%) to $57 million.
BERD, State and territory percentage change(a)
This interactive map examines the percentage change in business expenditure on research and experimental development between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 financial years by State and Territory which is based on the boundaries released in the ASGS.
- The percentage change for Overseas location, which is not included in the map, was a decrease of 29.5%.