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R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — 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 large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2)....

Countries reporting
21
Highest
1.17 million Persons
Germany
Lowest
35,179 Persons
Bulgaria
Median
154,827 Persons
Years covered
43
1982–2024
Data points
4,038

What the numbers show

R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — R&D Personnel (total economy) is currently reported for 21 countries. The highest value is 1.17 million Persons in Germany; the lowest is 35,179 Persons in Bulgaria.

The median across all reporting countries is 154,827 Persons, and the mean is 266,661 Persons.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 33.

R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — R&D Personnel: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Germany 1.17 million Persons 2023 up 35.9% rising
2 United Kingdom 739,816 Persons 2017 up 48.2% rising
2 France 678,466 Persons 2023 up 17.9% rising
3 Italy 518,829 Persons 2023 up 39.3% rising
3 Poland 326,075 Persons 2023 up 123.9% rising
4 Spain 431,848 Persons 2023 up 29.6% rising
4 Netherlands 195,127 Persons 2013 up 74.2% rising
5 Belgium 164,518 Persons 2023 up 63.8% rising
6 Portugal 163,630 Persons 2024 up 68.8% volatile
6 Croatia 28,059 Persons 2023 up 65.0% rising
7 Sweden 161,897 Persons 2023 up 20.9% rising
8 Austria 154,827 Persons 2023 up 32.3% rising
9 Switzerland 149,651 Persons 2023 up 27.4% rising
10 Greece 132,622 Persons 2023 up 60.4% rising
11 Czechia 122,683 Persons 2024 up 26.0% rising
12 Denmark 100,535 Persons 2023 up 18.0% rising
13 Norway 98,010 Persons 2023 up 43.7% rising
14 Finland 90,620 Persons 2023 up 14.8% rising
15 Hungary 89,907 Persons 2023 up 54.4% rising
16 Romania 48,103 Persons 2023 up 10.9% rising
17 Bulgaria 35,179 Persons 2023 up 57.7% rising

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — R&D Personnel by country. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-region-r-and-d-personnel-total-economy/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and region — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
224 places, 4,038 data points, 1982–2024
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 large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2). Definition of regions: Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). TL2 regions are used in this dataset. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table (xls) and the OECD Territorial grid (pdf).