R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy) by country
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...
What the numbers show
R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy) is currently reported for 39 countries. The highest value is 1.32 million Persons in Japan; the lowest is 6,653 Persons in Costa Rica.
The median across all reporting countries is 100,535 Persons, and the mean is 233,191 Persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 198.
Over the past decade 36 countries rose and 3 fell. The largest increase was in Poland (up 123.9%), and the largest decrease in Costa Rica (down 12.0%).
R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 1.32 million Persons | 2024 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 2 | Germany | 1.17 million Persons | 2023 | up 35.9% | rising |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 739,816 Persons | 2017 | up 48.2% | rising |
| 3 | Russian Federation | 679,333 Persons | 2020 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 4 | France | 678,466 Persons | 2023 | up 17.9% | rising |
| 4 | Türkiye | 418,603 Persons | 2024 | up 95.9% | volatile |
| 5 | Italy | 518,829 Persons | 2023 | up 39.3% | rising |
| 5 | Poland | 326,075 Persons | 2023 | up 123.9% | rising |
| 6 | Spain | 431,848 Persons | 2023 | up 29.6% | rising |
| 6 | Netherlands | 260,716 Persons | 2023 | up 33.6% | rising |
| 7 | Chinese Taipei | 388,265 Persons | 2024 | up 26.3% | rising |
| 8 | Belgium | 164,518 Persons | 2023 | up 63.8% | rising |
| 8 | Croatia | 28,059 Persons | 2023 | up 65.0% | rising |
| 9 | Portugal | 163,630 Persons | 2024 | up 68.8% | volatile |
| 9 | Lithuania | 25,940 Persons | 2023 | up 14.0% | rising |
| 10 | Austria | 154,827 Persons | 2023 | up 32.3% | rising |
| 10 | Slovenia | 25,863 Persons | 2023 | up 21.6% | rising |
| 11 | Switzerland | 149,651 Persons | 2023 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 11 | Latvia | 14,073 Persons | 2023 | up 36.3% | rising |
| 12 | Sweden | 139,853 Persons | 2023 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 12 | Estonia | 13,729 Persons | 2023 | up 33.5% | rising |
| 13 | Greece | 132,622 Persons | 2023 | up 60.4% | rising |
| 14 | Argentina | 131,502 Persons | 2023 | up 24.0% | rising |
| 15 | Czechia | 122,903 Persons | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 16 | Denmark | 100,535 Persons | 2023 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 17 | Norway | 98,010 Persons | 2023 | up 43.7% | rising |
| 18 | Finland | 90,620 Persons | 2023 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 19 | Hungary | 89,907 Persons | 2023 | up 54.4% | rising |
| 20 | South Africa | 89,604 Persons | 2023 | up 30.2% | rising |
| 21 | Mexico | 89,438 Persons | 2017 | down 5.8% | flat |
| 22 | New Zealand | 73,000 Persons | 2023 | up 69.0% | rising |
| 23 | Ireland | 66,623 Persons | 2023 | up 40.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Singapore | 61,693 Persons | 2023 | up 30.6% | rising |
| 25 | Romania | 48,103 Persons | 2023 | up 10.9% | falling |
| 26 | Bulgaria | 35,179 Persons | 2023 | up 57.7% | volatile |
| 27 | Chile | 32,392 Persons | 2022 | up 54.6% | rising |
| 28 | Iceland | 7,431 Persons | 2023 | up 51.5% | rising |
| 29 | Luxembourg | 7,353 Persons | 2023 | up 28.1% | rising |
| 30 | Costa Rica | 6,653 Persons | 2024 | down 12.0% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- China (People's Republic of) 10.80 million Persons
- Korea 839,582 Persons
- Slovak Republic 41,052 Persons
About this data
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).