Italy vs Spain: Researchers in R&D

Italy
2,855 per million people
in 2023
Spain
3,654 per million people
in 2023
Italy rank
34th
Spain rank
32nd

Researchers in R&D over time

  • Italy
  • Spain
1.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k199620092023

How they compare

Spain currently reports 3,654 per million people against 2,855 per million people in Italy, a difference of 799 per million people.

That makes Spain's figure about 1.3 times Italy's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Italy ahead.

Italy ranks 34th and Spain ranks 32nd of 103 countries.

Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Italy Spain Difference Ahead
1990s 1,192 per million people 1,405 per million people 213.8 per million people Spain
2000s 1,384 per million people 2,396 per million people 1,012 per million people Spain
2010s 2,098 per million people 2,780 per million people 682.08 per million people Spain
2020s 2,731 per million people 3,331 per million people 599.59 per million people Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher researchers in r&d, Italy or Spain?
Spain, at 3,654 per million people against 2,855 per million people in Italy as of 2023.
What is the difference in researchers in r&d between Italy and Spain?
799 per million people, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and Spain?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Italy and Spain rank globally for researchers in r&d?
Italy ranks 34th and Spain ranks 32nd of 103 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Researchers in R&D (per million people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Italy vs Spain: Researchers in R&D. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/researchers-in-r-and-d-per-million-people/italy/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Researchers in R&D (per million people)
Unit
per million people
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,361 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.