Press Release: High Technology Indicators. Year 2023.

Main results

The turnover of high - and medium-high technology companies increased by 6.6% in 2023, to 354,307.2 million euros.
Exports of high-tech products increased by 1.8%, while imports decreased by 0.1%.

More information

In 2023, high and medium-high technology companies achieved a turnover of 354,307.2 million euros, an increase of 6.6% compared with the previous year. This amount generated an added value of 104,480.0 million euros.

By sector, turnover of high and medium-high technology manufacturing companies increased 5.0%, to 244,243.0 million euros.

The total turnover of companies in the high-tech services sector was 110,064.1 million euros, 10.3% more than the previous year.

Main high-technology indicators. Year 2023

Financial data in millions of euros

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    "244,243.0",
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    "12,396.7",
    "17,853",
    "207,151.2",
    "6.7",
    "42,284.5",
    "77,516",
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Source: Structural Enterprise Statistics

Employment in the high-technology sectors

Employment in the high and medium-high tech sectors increased by 2.9% in 2023, according to the Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS).

The number of employed persons increased by 2.7% in high-tech manufacturing sectors, while it increased by 2.6% in medium-high-tech manufacturing sectors and by 3.3% in high-tech service sectors.

High- and medium-high technology sectors employed 7.7% of the total number of employed persons in the Spanish economy in 2023. 29.6% were women.

Employment in high-technology sectors. Year 2023

Thousands of persons and percentages

Source: Economically Active Population Survey (annual average)

R&D personnel in high-technology sectors

Companies in high- and medium-high technology sectors invested a total of 8,830.2 million euros in R&D in 2023, 17.2% more than the previous year.

This amounted to 70.0% of total business sector expenditure on R&D activities.

Internal R&D expenditure in high technology sectors. Year 2023

Millions of euros and percentages

Source: Statistics on R+D Activities in company sector

The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel assigned to R&D tasks in the high and medium-high technology companies amounted to 86,994, an increase of 7.7% over the previous year.

R&D personnel in high-technology sectors. Year 2023

Full-time equivalent employed persons (FTE)

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    "64.5",
    "66.1",
    "7.7",
    "134,793",
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Source: Statistics on R+D Activities in company sector

The branches of the high and medium-high technology companies concentrated 64.5% of the total FTE personnel assigned to R&D in the business sector, and 66.1% of researchers.

Value of the production of goods in the ICT sector

According to the Industrial Products Survey, the production value of high-technology goods increased by 4.5% in 2023, to stand at 14,320.0 million euros.

Value of high-tech production by product group. Year 2023

Millions of euros

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    "923.2",
    "965.7",
    "4.6",
    "220.5",
    "193.1",
    "-12.4",
    "2,614.6",
    "2,957.4",
    "13.1",
    "4,317.3",
    "4,750.3",
    "10.0",
    "1,326.1",
    "1,334.4",
    "0.6",
    "527.8",
    "487.7",
    "-7.6",
    "2,542.7",
    "2,235.5",
    "-12.1",
    "1,024.2",
    "1,142.1",
    "11.5",
    "200.7",
    "253.7",
    "26.4",
    "13,697.0",
    "14,320.0",
    "4.5",
    "600,389.9",
    "579,537.6",
    "-3.5"
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Source: Industrial Products Survey

International trade in high-tech products

Exports of high-tech products increased by 1.8% in 2023, to stand at 20,798.7 million euros. On the other hand, imports decreased by 0.1%, to 39,134.0 million.

Annual variation of high-technology exports and imports. 2018-2023

Percentage

Source: Own compilation using data from the State Tax Administration Agency

The highest coverage rate (ratio of exports to imports, expressed as a percentage) in foreign trade of high-tech products was for the group of arms and ammunition (270.3%).

The Office machinery and computer equipment group showed the lowest rate (22.1%).

International trade in high-tech products by product group. Year 2023

Millions of euros

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    "4,452.7",
    "4,359.8",
    "92.9",
    "102.1",
    "1,187.2",
    "5,374.3",
    "-4,187.1",
    "22.1",
    "4,017.9",
    "12,254.6",
    "-8,236.7",
    "32.8",
    "4,529.4",
    "7,696.4",
    "-3,167.0",
    "58.9",
    "1,644.3",
    "5,233.2",
    "-3,588.9",
    "31.4",
    "621.3",
    "1,215.6",
    "-594.3",
    "51.1",
    "2,306.6",
    "2,006.4",
    "300.2",
    "115.0",
    "1,364.1",
    "743.9",
    "620.3",
    "183.4",
    "675.2",
    "249.8",
    "425.4",
    "270.3",
    "20,798.7",
    "39,134.0",
    "-18,335.3",
    "53.1",
    "384,162.0",
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Source: Own compilation using data from the State Tax Administration Agency

Data revisions and updates

The data published today are final. All results are available on INEBase.

In accordance with the Commission's Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/137, the INE has begun to work on incorporating the new National Classification of Economic Activities CNAE-2025 in all its statistical operations.

In the case of the High Technology Indicators, the first publication of results with CNAE-2025 will take place in 2027.

Methodological note

The High Technology indicators are obtained as summary statistics so as to provide data on the sectors and products considered high-tech (industrial or service sectors) according to the methodology criteria proposed by the OECD.

R&D and innovation indicators are given for the activity branches, which include: expenses, personnel, employees, turnover, production value, added value, number of companies, intensity of innovation. For high technology products, production value and exports and imports are also provided.

Type of operation:: annual synthesis statistics.
Geographical scope:: the entire national territory.
Reference period:: q-2 where q is the year of data publication.
Collection method:: summary of different statistical operations.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.