Inflation undermined 2022 boost to UK government R&D spending

Real-terms rise was just 2 per cent, despite government almost hitting £16.1 billion target

Inflation almost wiped out increases in government spending on research and development in 2022, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS figures show that the government achieved its 2022 target for government R&D investment, laid out in the 2021 Comprehensive Spending Review. But a global surge in inflation, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, undermined these efforts to boost spending.