R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — 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 field of research (natural sciences,...
What the numbers show
R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D Personnel (total economy) is currently reported for 30 countries. The highest value is 1.04 million Persons in Germany; the lowest is 5,466 Persons in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 110,784 Persons, and the mean is 190,913 Persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 190.
Over the past decade 27 countries rose and 2 fell. The largest increase was in Poland (up 124.1%), and the largest decrease in Russia (down 24.1%).
R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 1.04 million Persons | 2019 | up 33.5% | rising |
| 1 | Türkiye | 321,392 Persons | 2020 | up 118.0% | volatile |
| 2 | Russia | 839,338 Persons | 2004 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 3 | Italy | 544,094 Persons | 2019 | up 53.5% | rising |
| 3 | Poland | 271,025 Persons | 2019 | up 124.1% | rising |
| 4 | France | 415,061 Persons | 2003 | up 16.4% | rising |
| 4 | Netherlands | 226,732 Persons | 2019 | up 115.5% | rising |
| 5 | Spain | 377,862 Persons | 2019 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 6 | Taiwan | 157,225 Persons | 2003 | up 21.6% | rising |
| 6 | Slovenia | 25,062 Persons | 2019 | up 47.0% | rising |
| 7 | Belgium | 148,062 Persons | 2019 | up 66.8% | rising |
| 7 | Lithuania | 24,699 Persons | 2019 | up 33.6% | rising |
| 8 | Austria | 147,072 Persons | 2021 | up 36.2% | rising |
| 8 | Latvia | 12,550 Persons | 2019 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 9 | Sweden | 139,853 Persons | 2023 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 9 | Estonia | 10,334 Persons | 2019 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 10 | Switzerland | 132,605 Persons | 2019 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 11 | Portugal | 131,128 Persons | 2020 | up 42.7% | volatile |
| 12 | Czechia | 118,044 Persons | 2020 | — | rising |
| 13 | Greece | 103,525 Persons | 2019 | up 47.4% | rising |
| 14 | Norway | 89,864 Persons | 2019 | up 40.1% | rising |
| 15 | Denmark | 86,743 Persons | 2019 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 16 | Hungary | 84,651 Persons | 2019 | up 61.2% | falling |
| 17 | Finland | 76,206 Persons | 2019 | down 4.2% | rising |
| 18 | Argentina | 59,150 Persons | 2004 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 19 | Ireland | 50,662 Persons | 2019 | up 93.5% | volatile |
| 20 | Romania | 43,973 Persons | 2019 | up 3.7% | falling |
| 21 | South Africa | 40,008 Persons | 2001 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 22 | Luxembourg | 7,062 Persons | 2019 | up 22.8% | rising |
| 23 | Iceland | 5,466 Persons | 2003 | up 50.2% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Korea 297,060 Persons
- Slovak Republic 37,189 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 field of research (natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural and veterinary sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts).