Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) vs Japan: R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)
2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Japan
927,402 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2023
Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) rank
3rd
Japan rank
1st

R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex over time

  • Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)
  • Japan
500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M3.0M198020022024

How they compare

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) currently reports 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 927,402 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Japan, a difference of 1.89 million Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That makes Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)'s figure about 3.0 times Japan's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) has been ahead every year.

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st of 4 regions.

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) Japan Difference Ahead
1990s 1.28 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 919,428 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 360,777 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)
2000s 1.61 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 881,261 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 726,615 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)
2010s 2.11 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 879,806 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.23 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)
2020s 2.61 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 930,279 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.67 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex, Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) or Japan?
Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026), at 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 927,402 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Japan as of 2024.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex between Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) and Japan?
1.89 million Full-time equivalent (FTE), with Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) and Japan?
33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
How do Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) and Japan rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex?
Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st of 4 regions.
Where does this data come from?
Eurostat, published as R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) vs Japan: R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-professional-position-and-sex/euro-area-21-countries-from-2026/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex
Unit
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
54 places, 1,706 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed