China vs Iran: Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE)
China
2,107 FTE
in 2023
Iran
2,240 FTE
in 2021
China rank
45th
Iran rank
42nd
Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) over time
- China
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 2,240 FTE against 2,107 FTE in China, a difference of 133 FTE.
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 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 |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, China or Iran?
- Iran, 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?
- 133 FTE, 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 researchers per million inhabitants?
- China ranks 45th and Iran 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.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release