LetΓ=Γ _±,z be one of theN ²-dimensional bicovariant first order differential calculi for the quantum groups GL _q (N), SL _q (N), SO _q (N), or Sp _q (N), whereq is a transcendental complex number andz is a regular parameter. It is shown that the de Rham cohomology of Woronowicz’s external algebraΓ ^{^} coincides with the de Rham cohomologies of its leftinvariant, its right-invariant and its biinvariant subcomplexes. In the cases GL _q (N) and SL _q (N) the cohomology ring is isomorphic to the biinvariant external algebraΓ _inv ^{^} and to the vector space of harmonic forms. We prove a Hodge decomposition theorem in these cases. The main technical tool is the spectral decomposition of the quantum Laplace-Beltrami operator. It is also applicable for quantum Euclidean spheres. The eigenvalues of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in cases of the general linear quantum group, the orthogonal quantum group, and the quantum Euclidean spheres are given.