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

Iceland
5,953 per million people
in 2023
Switzerland
6,108 per million people
in 2023
Iceland rank
12th
Switzerland rank
9th

Number of R&D researchers per million people over time

  • Iceland
  • Switzerland
02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k199620092023

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 6,108 per million people against 5,953 per million people in Iceland, a difference of 155 per million people.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 12th and Switzerland ranks 9th of 103 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Switzerland Difference Ahead
1990s 3,321 per million people 3,130 per million people 190.84 per million people Iceland
2000s 7,313 per million people 3,314 per million people 4,000 per million people Iceland
2010s 5,980 per million people 5,258 per million people 722.16 per million people Iceland
2020s 6,447 per million people 6,056 per million people 391.23 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 Switzerland?
Switzerland, at 6,108 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 Switzerland?
155 per million people, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Switzerland?
5 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Iceland and Switzerland rank globally for number of r&d researchers per million people?
Iceland ranks 12th and Switzerland ranks 9th 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 Switzerland: 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 29 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/researchers-in-rd-per-million-people/iceland/switzerland/

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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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