Spain vs United Kingdom: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel

Spain
431,848 Persons
in 2023
United Kingdom
739,816 Persons
in 2017
Spain rank
6th
United Kingdom rank
3rd

R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel over time

  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k198820052023

How they compare

United Kingdom currently reports 739,816 Persons against 431,848 Persons in Spain, a difference of 307,968 Persons.

That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.7 times Spain's.

Across all 11 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.

Spain ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 30 countries.

United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Spain United Kingdom Difference Ahead
2000s 324,266 Persons 492,304 Persons 168,038 Persons United Kingdom
2010s 344,671 Persons 629,132 Persons 284,461 Persons United Kingdom

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel, Spain or United Kingdom?
United Kingdom, at 739,816 Persons against 431,848 Persons in Spain as of 2017.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel between Spain and United Kingdom?
307,968 Persons, with United Kingdom ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
11 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2017.
How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel?
Spain ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 30 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Spain vs United Kingdom: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel. 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-function-r-and-d-personnel-total-economy/spain/united-kingdom-2/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 1,049 data points, 1981–2024
Last refreshed

This table contains research and development (R&D) personnel statistics. Number of R&D personnel is provided in both headcounts and full-time equivalent on R&D by sex, sector of employment (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit) and by function (researchers, technicians and other support staff).