Iceland vs Portugal: Number of R&D researchers per million people

Iceland
5,953 per million people
in 2023
Portugal
5,983 per million people
in 2023
Iceland rank
12th
Portugal rank
11th

Number of R&D researchers per million people over time

  • Iceland
  • Portugal
2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k199620092023

How they compare

Portugal currently reports 5,983 per million people against 5,953 per million people in Iceland, a difference of 30 per million people.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 18 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 12th and Portugal ranks 11th of 103 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Portugal Difference Ahead
1990s 4,800 per million people 1,401 per million people 3,399 per million people Iceland
2000s 7,267 per million people 2,612 per million people 4,655 per million people Iceland
2010s 6,113 per million people 4,184 per million people 1,930 per million people Iceland
2020s 6,586 per million people 5,700 per million people 885.5 per million people Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher number of r&d researchers per million people, Iceland or Portugal?
Portugal, at 5,983 per million people against 5,953 per million people in Iceland as of 2023.
What is the difference in number of r&d researchers per million people between Iceland and Portugal?
30 per million people, with Portugal ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Portugal?
18 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Iceland and Portugal rank globally for number of r&d researchers per million people?
Iceland ranks 12th and Portugal ranks 11th 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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Iceland vs Portugal: Number of R&D researchers per million people. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/researchers-in-rd-per-million-people/iceland/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of R&D researchers per million people
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

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