R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Sweden

Sweden: R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D was 139,853 Persons in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
139,853 Persons
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
9th
of 23 countries
All-time high
142,357 Persons
in 2021
All-time low
66,863 Persons
in 1987
Years of data
17
1987–2023

R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Sweden, 1987–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k1987200520231987: 66.9k Persons1993: 79.6k Persons1995: 98.0k Persons1997: 104.3k Persons1999: 107.5k Persons2001: 110.3k Persons2003: 108.1k Persons2005: 117.6k Persons2007: 115.7k Persons2009: 116.2k Persons2011: 125.6k Persons2013: 133.9k Persons2015: 138.6k Persons2017: 131.8k Persons2019: 135.7k Persons2021: 142.4k Persons2023: 139.9k Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

In 2023, r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Sweden stood at 139,853 Persons.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Sweden peaked at 142,357 Persons in 2021 and was at its lowest, 66,863 Persons, in 1987.

Sweden ranks 9th of 23 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D Personnel (total economy) in Sweden, 1987 to 2023.
Year Persons Change
1987 66,863 Persons
1993 79,603 Persons +19.1%
1995 97,955 Persons +23.1%
1997 104,322 Persons +6.5%
1999 107,521 Persons +3.1%
2001 110,291 Persons +2.6%
2003 108,146 Persons -1.9%
2005 117,639 Persons +8.8%
2007 115,678 Persons -1.7%
2009 116,209 Persons +0.5%
2011 125,648 Persons +8.1%
2013 133,906 Persons +6.6%
2015 138,620 Persons +3.5%
2017 131,783 Persons -4.9%
2019 135,685 Persons +3.0%
2021 142,357 Persons +4.9%
2023 139,853 Persons -1.8%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 139,853 Persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 124,586 Persons, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 139,853 Persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 124,586 Persons, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 66,863 Persons 66,863 Persons 66,863 Persons 1
1990s 97,350 Persons 79,603 Persons 107,521 Persons 4
2000s 113,593 Persons 108,146 Persons 117,639 Persons 5
2010s 133,128 Persons 125,648 Persons 138,620 Persons 5
2020s 141,105 Persons 139,853 Persons 142,357 Persons 2

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 6 Taiwan 157,225 Persons compare
  2. 6 Slovenia 25,062 Persons compare
  3. 7 Belgium 148,062 Persons compare
  4. 7 Lithuania 24,699 Persons compare
  5. 8 Austria 147,072 Persons compare
  6. 8 Latvia 12,550 Persons compare
  7. 9 Estonia 10,334 Persons compare
  8. 10 Switzerland 132,605 Persons compare
  9. 11 Portugal 131,128 Persons compare
  10. 12 Czechia 118,044 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 32 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Sweden?
R&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Sweden was 139,853 Persons in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 142,357 Persons in 2021.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 66,863 Persons in 1987.
How does Sweden rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d?
Sweden ranks 9th out of 23 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-major-field-of-r-and-d-r-and-d-personnel/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
32 places, 610 data points, 1981–2023
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 field of research (natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural and veterinary sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts).