Research and Development Expenses of facebook
Facebook Research and Development Expenses 2010 to 2017

The table below shows the research and development expenses of Facebook from 2010 to 2017.
Year | R&D Expenses (Mn) |
---|---|
2018 | $10,273 |
2017 | $ 7,754 |
2016 | $ 5,919 |
2015 | $ 4,816 |
2014 | $ 2,666 |
2013 | $ 1,415 |
2012 | $ 1,399 |
2011 | $ 388 |
2010 | $ 144 |
R&D costs of Facebook 2018 Q1 - 2.24 Billion Dollars
Facebook's business is heavily dependent on technology and it has to continuously invest in new technologies so as to grow its business and the effectiveness of its advertisements and advertising campaigns. The social media giant has seen very fast growth in its audience size and revenue over the recent years. It is investing in artificial intelligence research as well as augmented reality and virtual reality so as to develop technologies that can better serve its audience. Facebook's R&D investment has grown rapidly during the recent years from 5.92 Billion USD in 2016 to 7.75 Billion USD in 2017. In the first quarter of 2018, the brand invested 2.24 Billion USD on R&D.
Sources:
Facebook Annual Reports