Bangladesh’s investment in research and development (R&D) as a percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) has been on a downward trajectory since the fiscal year 2018-19, according to a recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The BBS report, released on Wednesday, highlights the country’s ongoing challenges in the R&D sector and emphasizes the need for increased focus and investment.

In fiscal year (FY) 2018-19, the gross expenditure on R&D stood at 0.35% of GDP. This figure dropped to 0.31% in FY 2019-20 and further decreased to 0.30% in FY 2020-21.

The BBS survey, titled ‘Research and Development (R&D) Survey 2022,’ marks the bureau’s first comprehensive assessment of the nation’s R&D expenditure and personnel.

The BBS expressed dissatisfaction with the current levels of R&D investment, noting the critical role that research and development play in a nation’s progress.

“Despite many successes, it is undeniable that Bangladesh continues to fall far behind in the field of R&D,” the report stated.

The survey underscores inadequate R&D efforts can significantly hinder a country’s development and progress.

Per capita expenditure on R&D also remained low. In FY 2018-19, per capita R&D spending was Tk 615.51. This slightly decreased to Tk 590.55 in FY 2019-20 before increasing marginally to Tk 619.82 in FY 2020-21. The overall R&D expenditure for these fiscal years remained relatively static, with Tk 104.8 billion spent in FY 2020-21, compared to Tk 98.9 billion in FY 2019-20 and Tk 101.9 billion in FY 2018-19.

A significant portion of the R&D budget was allocated to agricultural sciences, which received 31% of the total expenditure in FY 2020-21. Natural sciences followed, receiving 22%, while engineering and technology research accounted for 17% of the spending.

The survey also provided data on R&D personnel, noting that the number of R&D personnel per million inhabitants was 188 in FY 2018-19, 184 in FY 2019-20, and 187 in FY 2020-21. The ratio of researchers to the labor force showed slight fluctuations, with 0.26 researchers per 1,000 labor force in FY 2018-19, dropping to 0.25 in the subsequent years.