China vs Iran: R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita

China
2,107 per million people
in 2023
Iran
2,240 per million people
in 2021
China rank
45th
Iran rank
42nd

R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita over time

  • China
  • Iran
5001.0k1.5k2.0k199620092023

How they compare

Iran currently reports 2,240 per million people against 2,107 per million people in China, a difference of 133 per million people.

That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times China's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 10 shared years of data; in 2006 it was China ahead.

China ranks 45th and Iran ranks 42nd of 103 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Iran in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Iran Difference Ahead
2000s 996.68 per million people 702.27 per million people 294.41 per million people China
2010s 1,148 per million people 969.61 per million people 178.7 per million people China
2020s 1,686 per million people 2,240 per million people 553.76 per million people Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita, China or Iran?
Iran, at 2,240 per million people against 2,107 per million people in China as of 2021.
What is the difference in r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita between China and Iran?
133 per million people, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran?
10 years are reported by both, from 2006 to 2021.
How do China and Iran rank globally for r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita?
China ranks 45th and Iran ranks 42nd of 103 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Iran: R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/researchers-in-rd-per-million-people-vs-gdp-pc/china/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita
Unit
per million people
Source
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
103 places, 1,875 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Professionals conceiving or creating new knowledge, products, processes, methods, or systems. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.