R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions was 16,135 Persons in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
16,135 Persons
Change on year
down 12.3%
World rank
25th
of 39 countries
All-time high
18,408 Persons
in 2022
All-time low
1,866 Persons
in 2002
Years of data
29
1995–2023

R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions in Bulgaria, 1995–2023

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1995200920231995: 4.4k Persons1996: 4.2k Persons1997: 3.9k Persons1998: 3.8k Persons1999: 2.8k Persons2000: 2.3k Persons2001: 2.0k Persons2002: 1.9k Persons2003: 2.4k Persons2004: 2.5k Persons2005: 2.3k Persons2006: 3.0k Persons2007: 3.1k Persons2008: 3.4k Persons2009: 4.0k Persons2010: 3.3k Persons2011: 3.0k Persons2012: 3.5k Persons2013: 4.5k Persons2014: 6.4k Persons2015: 11.4k Persons2016: 13.6k Persons2017: 13.1k Persons2018: 15.9k Persons2019: 16.5k Persons2020: 16.6k Persons2021: 16.1k Persons2022: 18.4k Persons2023: 16.1k Persons

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

Analysis

In 2023, r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions in Bulgaria stood at 16,135 Persons.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.3% on the previous year and up 255.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions in Bulgaria peaked at 18,408 Persons in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1,866 Persons, in 2002.

Bulgaria ranks 25th of 39 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions in Bulgaria, 1995 to 2023.
Year Persons Change
1995 4,423 Persons
1996 4,155 Persons -6.1%
1997 3,909 Persons -5.9%
1998 3,751 Persons -4.0%
1999 2,806 Persons -25.2%
2000 2,273 Persons -19.0%
2001 1,972 Persons -13.2%
2002 1,866 Persons -5.4%
2003 2,398 Persons +28.5%
2004 2,544 Persons +6.1%
2005 2,305 Persons -9.4%
2006 2,960 Persons +28.4%
2007 3,090 Persons +4.4%
2008 3,397 Persons +9.9%
2009 4,007 Persons +18.0%
2010 3,316 Persons -17.2%
2011 2,970 Persons -10.4%
2012 3,533 Persons +19.0%
2013 4,541 Persons +28.5%
2014 6,384 Persons +40.6%
2015 11,356 Persons +77.9%
2016 13,565 Persons +19.5%
2017 13,114 Persons -3.3%
2018 15,949 Persons +21.6%
2019 16,529 Persons +3.6%
2020 16,589 Persons +0.4%
2021 16,057 Persons -3.2%
2022 18,408 Persons +14.6%
2023 16,135 Persons -12.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3,809 Persons 2,806 Persons 4,423 Persons 5
2000s 2,681 Persons 1,866 Persons 4,007 Persons 10
2010s 9,126 Persons 2,970 Persons 16,529 Persons 10
2020s 16,797 Persons 16,057 Persons 18,408 Persons 4

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 22 Hungary 43,131 Persons compare
  2. 23 Ireland 40,956 Persons compare
  3. 24 Greece 34,873 Persons compare
  4. 26 Slovenia 15,143 Persons compare
  5. 27 Romania 14,395 Persons compare
  6. 28 Croatia 9,655 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 45 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions in Bulgaria?
R&d personnel by sector of performance - regions in Bulgaria was 16,135 Persons in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 18,408 Persons in 2022.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 1,866 Persons in 2002.
How does Bulgaria rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions?
Bulgaria ranks 25th out of 39 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 255.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria 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 - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-regions/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
45 places, 982 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

This table contains research and development (R&D) personnel statistics in large (TL2) regions. Indicators covered Number of R&D personnel is provided in both headcounts and full-time equivalent on R&D by sex, sector of performance (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit). 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). TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table (xls) and the OECD Territorial grid (pdf). Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats Further information Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development Frascati Manual 2015 The interactive web-tool OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas The report OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For any question or comment, please write to RegionStat@oecd.org