This article updates statistics published in the August 1998 edition of Economic Trends. Last year's article generated a great deal of interest within the R&D community and our aim is to continue to inform and stimulate debate. R&D is defined as creative work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications. Breakdowns covered include: Government, Business, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and the Private Non-Profit (PNP) sector.