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R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026): R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS was 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Change on year
up 2.2%
Rank
3rd
of 412 regions
All-time high
2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
All-time low
1.13 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2024

R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026), 1990–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M1990200720241990: 1.1M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1991: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1992: 1.2M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1993: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1995: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1996: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1997: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1998: 1.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)1999: 1.4M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2000: 1.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2001: 1.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2002: 1.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2003: 1.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2004: 1.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2005: 1.6M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2006: 1.7M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2007: 1.7M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2008: 1.8M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2009: 1.8M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2010: 1.9M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2011: 1.9M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2012: 2.0M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2013: 2.0M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2014: 2.0M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2015: 2.1M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2016: 2.2M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2017: 2.3M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2018: 2.4M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2019: 2.4M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2020: 2.5M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2021: 2.6M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2022: 2.6M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2023: 2.8M Full-time equivalent (FTE)2024: 2.8M Full-time equivalent (FTE)

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Full-time equivalent (FTE).

Analysis

Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) recorded 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) for r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 39.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) peaked at 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.13 million Full-time equivalent (FTE), in 1990.

That places Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 3rd out of 412 regions with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026), year by year

Year Full-time equivalent (FTE) Change
1990 1.13 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) —
1991 1.28 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +13.6%
1992 1.18 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) -7.6%
1993 1.28 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +8.0%
1995 1.29 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.1%
1996 1.32 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.2%
1997 1.31 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) -0.4%
1998 1.35 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.7%
1999 1.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.8%
2000 1.46 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.2%
2001 1.48 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.3%
2002 1.50 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.5%
2003 1.51 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +0.7%
2004 1.55 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.4%
2005 1.58 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.1%
2006 1.66 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.1%
2007 1.72 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.0%
2008 1.80 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.4%
2009 1.82 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.4%
2010 1.87 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.2%
2011 1.92 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.7%
2012 1.96 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.5%
2013 1.99 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.3%
2014 2.02 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +1.5%
2015 2.09 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.5%
2016 2.16 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.2%
2017 2.26 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.6%
2018 2.36 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.4%
2019 2.44 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.4%
2020 2.46 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +0.8%
2021 2.56 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.2%
2022 2.65 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.5%
2023 2.76 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.0%
2024 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) +2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.28 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.13 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 9
2000s 1.61 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.46 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.82 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 10
2010s 2.11 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1.87 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2.44 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 10
2020s 2.65 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2.46 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) 5

Countries ranked near Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)

  1. 1 Japan 927,402 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  2. 2 Germany 839,700 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  3. 3 Russia 753,796 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  4. 4 South Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  5. 5 France 520,816 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  6. 6 United Kingdom 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  7. 6 United Kingdom 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare

See the full ranking of 460 places →

More science & technology data for Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)

All data for Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)?
R&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) was 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts recorded in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)?
The highest recorded value was 2.81 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024.
What is the lowest r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts recorded in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.13 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 1990.
How does Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) rank for r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts?
Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) ranks 3rd out of 412 regions with data for 2024.
Is r&d personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and nuts rising or falling in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026)?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 2 region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS in Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026). Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-by-sector-of-performance-sex-and-nuts-2-region/euro-area-21-countries-from-2026/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 2 region
Unit
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
460 places, 8,873 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed