Finland vs Sweden: Number of R&D researchers per million people
Finland
8,315 per million people
in 2023
Sweden
8,911 per million people
in 2023
Finland rank
5th
Sweden rank
2nd
Number of R&D researchers per million people over time
- Finland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 8,911 per million people against 8,315 per million people in Finland, a difference of 596 per million people.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Finland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Finland ahead.
Finland ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 2nd of 103 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7,646 per million people | 5,551 per million people | 2,095 per million people | Finland |
| 2010s | 7,117 per million people | 6,569 per million people | 547.69 per million people | Finland |
| 2020s | 7,952 per million people | 8,366 per million people | 414.36 per million people | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of r&d researchers per million people, Finland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 8,911 per million people against 8,315 per million people in Finland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of r&d researchers per million people between Finland and Sweden?
- 596 per million people, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Sweden?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2023.
- How do Finland and Sweden rank globally for number of r&d researchers per million people?
- Finland ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 2nd 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 Number of R&D researchers per million people. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Professionals engaged in conceiving or creating new knowledge, products, processes, methods, or systems.