How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and South Africa?

26 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2023.

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.

Finland vs South Africa: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D

Finland

90,620 Persons

in 2023

South Africa

89,604 Persons

in 2023

Finland rank

15th

South Africa rank

18th

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

Finland
South Africa

How they compare

Finland currently reports 90,620 Persons against 89,604 Persons in South Africa, a difference of 1,016 Persons.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1987 it was South Africa ahead.

Finland ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 18th of 25 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Finland	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1980s	36,576 Persons	37,916 Persons	1,340 Persons	South Africa
1990s	44,344 Persons	33,993 Persons	10,352 Persons	Finland
2000s	77,088 Persons	54,841 Persons	22,247 Persons	Finland
2010s	76,763 Persons	72,663 Persons	4,100 Persons	Finland
2020s	86,370 Persons	85,556 Persons	814.25 Persons	Finland

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, Finland or South Africa?: Finland, at 90,620 Persons against 89,604 Persons in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d between Finland and South Africa?: 1,016 Persons, with Finland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and South Africa?: 26 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2023.
How do Finland and South Africa rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d?: Finland ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 18th of 25 countries.
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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Finland vs South Africa: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-formal-qualification-r-and-d-personnel/finland/south-africa/

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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: 21 August 2026

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).