China (People's Republic of) vs Japan: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D

China (People's Republic of)
10.23 million Persons
in 2023
Japan
1.18 million Persons
in 2016
China (People's Republic of) rank
1st
Japan rank
1st

R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D over time

  • China (People's Republic of)
  • Japan
2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M200120122023

How they compare

China (People's Republic of) currently reports 10.23 million Persons against 1.18 million Persons in Japan, a difference of 9.04 million Persons.

That makes China (People's Republic of)'s figure about 8.7 times Japan's.

Across all 8 years both countries report, China (People's Republic of) has been ahead every year.

China (People's Republic of) ranks 1st and Japan ranks 1st of 9 groups.

China (People's Republic of) has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China (People's Republic of) Japan Difference Ahead
2000s 3.18 million Persons 1.15 million Persons 2.03 million Persons China (People's Republic of)
2010s 4.84 million Persons 1.16 million Persons 3.68 million Persons China (People's Republic of)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d, China (People's Republic of) or Japan?
China (People's Republic of), at 10.23 million Persons against 1.18 million Persons in Japan as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d between China (People's Republic of) and Japan?
9.04 million Persons, with China (People's Republic of) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China (People's Republic of) and Japan?
8 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2016.
How do China (People's Republic of) and Japan rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d?
China (People's Republic of) ranks 1st and Japan ranks 1st of 9 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China (People's Republic of) vs Japan: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-formal-qualification-r-and-d-personnel/china-people-s-republic-of/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
34 places, 789 data points, 1981–2024
Last refreshed

This table presents research and development (R&D) personnel statistics. Number of R&D personnel is provided in headcounts;D by sex, sector of employment (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit) and by formal qualification (university and other diplomas by ISCED classification).