South Korea vs Sweden: Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE)
South Korea
9,472 FTE
in 2023
Sweden
8,911 FTE
in 2023
South Korea rank
1st
Sweden rank
2nd
Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) over time
- South Korea
- Sweden
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 9,472 FTE against 8,911 FTE in Sweden, a difference of 561 FTE.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Sweden ahead.
South Korea ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 2nd of 103 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,201 FTE | 4,339 FTE | 2,138 FTE | Sweden |
| 2000s | 3,982 FTE | 5,484 FTE | 1,501 FTE | Sweden |
| 2010s | 6,884 FTE | 6,569 FTE | 314.19 FTE | South Korea |
| 2020s | 9,150 FTE | 8,366 FTE | 783.41 FTE | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, South Korea or Sweden?
- South Korea, at 9,472 FTE against 8,911 FTE in Sweden as of 2023.
- What is the difference in researchers per million inhabitants between South Korea and Sweden?
- 561 FTE, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Sweden?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and Sweden rank globally for researchers per million inhabitants?
- South Korea ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 2nd 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