China except Hong Kong vs South Korea: R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS

China except Hong Kong
7.24 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2023
South Korea
610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2023
China except Hong Kong rank
1st
South Korea rank
4th

R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS over time

  • China except Hong Kong
  • South Korea
02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M199120072023

How they compare

China except Hong Kong currently reports 7.24 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in South Korea, a difference of 6.63 million Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That makes China except Hong Kong's figure about 11.9 times South Korea's.

Across all 29 years both countries report, China except Hong Kong has been ahead every year.

China except Hong Kong ranks 1st and South Korea ranks 4th of 412 regions.

China except Hong Kong has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China except Hong Kong South Korea Difference Ahead
1990s 792,760 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 138,210 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 654,550 Full-time equivalent (FTE) China except Hong Kong
2000s 1.40 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 218,219 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.18 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) China except Hong Kong
2010s 3.68 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 431,239 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 3.25 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) China except Hong Kong
2020s 6.14 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 583,888 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 5.55 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) China except Hong Kong

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts, China except Hong Kong or South Korea?
China except Hong Kong, at 7.24 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in South Korea as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts between China except Hong Kong and South Korea?
6.63 million Full-time equivalent (FTE), with China except Hong Kong ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China except Hong Kong and South Korea?
29 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2023.
How do China except Hong Kong and South Korea rank globally for r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts?
China except Hong Kong ranks 1st and South Korea ranks 4th of 412 regions.
Where does this data come from?
Eurostat, published as R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 2 region. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China except Hong Kong vs South Korea: R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-by-sector-of-performance-sex-and-nuts-2-region/china-except-hong-kong/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 2 region
Unit
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
460 places, 8,873 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed