China vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Researchers per million inhabitants

China
2,107 FTE
in 2023
Iran, Islamic Republic of
2,240 FTE
in 2021
China rank
45th
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
42nd

Researchers per million inhabitants over time

  • China
  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
5001.0k1.5k2.0k199620092023

How they compare

Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 2,240 FTE against 2,107 FTE in China, a difference of 133 FTE.

That makes Iran, Islamic Republic of'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, Islamic Republic of ranks 42nd of 103 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China Iran, Islamic Republic of Difference Ahead
2000s 996.68 FTE 702.27 FTE 294.41 FTE China
2010s 1,148 FTE 969.61 FTE 178.7 FTE China
2020s 1,686 FTE 2,240 FTE 553.76 FTE Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, China or Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 2,240 FTE against 2,107 FTE in China as of 2021.
What is the difference in researchers per million inhabitants between China and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
133 FTE, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
10 years are reported by both, from 2006 to 2021.
How do China and Iran, Islamic Republic of rank globally for researchers per million inhabitants?
China ranks 45th and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 42nd of 103 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Researchers per million inhabitants. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/china/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE)
Unit
FTE
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
153 places, 3,275 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release