Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, sex and age by country
Countries reporting
47
Highest
26,845 Thousand persons
Germany
Lowest
118.7 Thousand persons
Montenegro
Median
1,775 Thousand persons
Years covered
32
1994–2025
Data points
1,334
What the numbers show
Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, sex and age is currently reported for 47 countries. The highest value is 26,845 Thousand persons in Germany; the lowest is 118.7 Thousand persons in Montenegro.
The median across all reporting countries is 1,775 Thousand persons, and the mean is 4,646 Thousand persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 226.
Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category … sex: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 26,845 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 21,623 Thousand persons | 2019 | up 45.7% | rising |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 21,623 Thousand persons | 2019 | up 45.7% | rising |
| 4 | France | 21,189 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 5 | Türkiye | 15,275 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 72.8% | rising |
| 6 | Spain | 14,611 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 30.4% | rising |
| 7 | Italy | 11,460 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 8 | Poland | 10,241 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 8 | Poland | 10,241 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 10 | Netherlands | 6,803 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 10 | Netherlands | 6,803 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 12 | Sweden | 3,915 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 25.7% | rising |
| 13 | Belgium | 3,883 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 30.7% | rising |
| 14 | Switzerland | 3,292 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 15 | Austria | 2,947 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 23.0% | rising |
| 16 | Romania | 2,784 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 17 | Portugal | 2,730 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 41.8% | rising |
| 18 | Czechia | 2,689 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 19 | Greece | 2,462 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 18.6% | rising |
| 20 | Hungary | 2,447 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 21 | Ireland | 2,099 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 53.9% | rising |
| 22 | Norway | 2,046 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 23 | Denmark | 2,045 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 24 | Finland | 1,775 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 25 | Bulgaria | 1,623 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 26 | Serbia | 1,451 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.5% | rising |
| 26 | Serbia | 1,451 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.5% | rising |
| 28 | Slovakia | 1,373 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 28 | Slovakia | 1,373 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 30 | Lithuania | 1,027 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 30.9% | rising |
| 30 | Lithuania | 1,027 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 30.9% | rising |
| 32 | Croatia | 912.7 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 32 | Croatia | 912.7 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 34 | Slovenia | 564.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 34 | Slovenia | 564.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 36 | Latvia | 538.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 36 | Latvia | 538.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 38 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 504.5 Thousand persons | 2025 | — | rising |
| 39 | Estonia | 444 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 39 | Estonia | 444 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 41 | North Macedonia | 350.2 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 13.7% | rising |
| 41 | North Macedonia | 350.2 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 13.7% | rising |
| 43 | Cyprus | 348.7 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 49.7% | rising |
| 44 | Luxembourg | 282.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 57.3% | rising |
| 45 | Malta | 184.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 105.3% | rising |
| 46 | Iceland | 139.9 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 44.1% | rising |
| 47 | Montenegro | 118.7 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 19.2% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 128,224 Thousand persons
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 104,103 Thousand persons