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

Switzerland: R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D was 132,605 Persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
132,605 Persons
Change on year
up 8.5%
World rank
10th
of 23 countries
All-time high
132,605 Persons
in 2019
All-time low
62,743 Persons
in 1996
Years of data
6
1996–2019

R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Switzerland, 1996–2019

050.0k100.0k150.0k1996200720191996: 62.7k Persons2000: 68.5k Persons2012: 117.5k Persons2015: 124.2k Persons2017: 122.2k Persons2019: 132.6k Persons

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

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 132,605 Persons for r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in 2019. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Switzerland peaked at 132,605 Persons in 2019 and was at its lowest, 62,743 Persons, in 1996.

Switzerland ranks 10th of 23 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

R&D personnel by sector of performance and major field of R&D — R&D in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland, 1996 to 2019.
Year Persons Change
1996 62,743 Persons
2000 68,495 Persons +9.2%
2012 117,457 Persons +71.5%
2015 124,246 Persons +5.8%
2017 122,172 Persons -1.7%
2019 132,605 Persons +8.5%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 132,605 Persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 124,586 Persons, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 132,605 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
1990s 62,743 Persons 62,743 Persons 62,743 Persons 1
2000s 68,495 Persons 68,495 Persons 68,495 Persons 1
2010s 124,120 Persons 117,457 Persons 132,605 Persons 4

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 7 Belgium 148,062 Persons compare
  2. 7 Lithuania 24,699 Persons compare
  3. 8 Austria 147,072 Persons compare
  4. 8 Latvia 12,550 Persons compare
  5. 9 Sweden 139,853 Persons compare
  6. 9 Estonia 10,334 Persons compare
  7. 11 Portugal 131,128 Persons compare
  8. 12 Czechia 118,044 Persons compare
  9. 13 Greece 103,525 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 32 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Switzerland?
R&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d in Switzerland was 132,605 Persons in 2019, 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 Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 132,605 Persons in 2019.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 62,743 Persons in 1996.
How does Switzerland rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d?
Switzerland ranks 10th out of 23 countries with data for 2019.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance and major field of r&d — r&d rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland 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 Switzerland. 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/switzerland/

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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).