How many years of comparable data are there for France and Spain?

9 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2001.

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.

France vs Spain: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D

France

390,631 Persons

in 2001

Spain

431,848 Persons

in 2023

France rank

5th

Spain rank

4th

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

France
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 431,848 Persons against 390,631 Persons in France, a difference of 41,217 Persons.

That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times France's.

Across all 9 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.

France ranks 5th and Spain ranks 4th of 25 countries.

France has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1980s	330,044 Persons	99,819 Persons	230,225 Persons	France
1990s	356,212 Persons	128,898 Persons	227,314 Persons	France
2000s	390,631 Persons	209,011 Persons	181,620 Persons	France

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, France or Spain?: Spain, at 431,848 Persons against 390,631 Persons in France as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d between France and Spain?: 41,217 Persons, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Spain?: 9 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2001.
How do France and Spain rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — r&d?: France ranks 5th and Spain ranks 4th 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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France vs Spain: R&D personnel by sector of performance and formal qualification — R&D. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-formal-qualification-r-and-d-personnel/france/spain/

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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).