R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
European Union - 27 countries (from 2020): R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex was 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Change on year
up 1.8%
Rank
2nd
of 4 regions
All-time high
3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
All-time low
1.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2024
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020), 1990–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Full-time equivalent (FTE).
Analysis
European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) recorded 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) peaked at 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE), in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020), year by year
| Year | Full-time equivalent (FTE) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | — |
| 1991 | 1.43 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +20.9% |
| 1992 | 1.27 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -11.7% |
| 1993 | 1.48 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +16.9% |
| 1995 | 1.57 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 1.60 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.60 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.63 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 1.66 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 1.73 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 1.75 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 1.77 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 1.79 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 1.83 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.88 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 1.96 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 2.03 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 2.12 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 2.14 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 2.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 2.26 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 2.32 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 2.36 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 2.40 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 2.48 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 2.56 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 2.69 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 2.83 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 2.92 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 2.96 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 3.10 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 3.22 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 3.33 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.49 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 1.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 1.66 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.90 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 1.73 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 2.14 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.50 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 2.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 2.92 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.20 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 2.96 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 5 |
Countries ranked near European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
- 1 Japan 927,402 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 2 Germany 839,700 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 3 Russian Federation 753,796 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 3 Russia 753,796 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 5 Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 5 South Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
More science & technology data for European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 128,217 Thousand persons (2025)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, NUTS 1 128,217 Thousand persons (2025)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, NUTS 1 128,217 Thousand persons (2025)
- R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) (2024)
- GERD by sector of performance and fields of R&D 403,270 Million euro (2024)
- GERD by sector of performance and type of R&D 403,270 Million euro (2024)
- Electricity production capacities for combustible fuels by technology 128,641 Megawatt (2024)
- R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, fields of R&D 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) (2024)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, sex and 128,217 Thousand persons (2025)
- Patent applications to the EPO by priority year 49,212 Number (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)?
- R&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) was 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.39 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2024.
- What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.19 million Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 1990.
- How does European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex?
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) ranks 2nd out of 4 regions with data for 2024.
- Is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex rising or falling in European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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