R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland

Iceland: R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex was 4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Change on year
down 7.1%
World rank
45th
of 50 countries
All-time high
4,549 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2022
All-time low
743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 1981
Years of data
31
1981–2023

R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland, 1981–2023

1.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k1981200220231981: 743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE)1983: 775.7 Full-time equivalent (FTE)1985: 834.2 Full-time equivalent (FTE)1987: 876.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE)1989: 1.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1990: 1.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1991: 1.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1992: 1.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1993: 1.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1994: 1.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1995: 1.7k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1996: 1.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1997: 2.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1998: 2.3k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1999: 2.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2000: 2.6k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2001: 2.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2002: 2.8k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2003: 2.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2005: 3.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2006: 3.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2007: 3.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2008: 3.1k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2009: 3.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2011: 3.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2013: 2.7k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2017: 3.1k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2018: 3.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2021: 4.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2022: 4.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2023: 4.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)

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

Analysis

In 2023, r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland stood at 4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That represents a change of down 7.1% on the previous year and up 54.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland peaked at 4,549 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2022 and was at its lowest, 743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE), in 1981.

Iceland ranks 45th of 50 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland, 1981 to 2023.
Year Full-time equivalent (FTE) Change
1981 743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1983 775.7 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.3%
1985 834.2 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +7.5%
1987 876.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.1%
1989 1,204 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +37.4%
1990 1,188 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -1.4%
1991 1,197 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +0.8%
1992 1,244 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.9%
1993 1,363 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +9.6%
1994 1,412 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.6%
1995 1,694 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +19.9%
1996 1,516 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -10.5%
1997 2,150 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +41.8%
1998 2,273 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.7%
1999 2,390 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.2%
2000 2,646 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +10.7%
2001 2,900 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +9.6%
2002 2,797 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -3.6%
2003 2,940 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.1%
2005 3,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +9.7%
2006 3,414 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +5.8%
2007 2,982 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -12.7%
2008 3,117 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +4.5%
2009 3,397 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +9.0%
2011 3,244 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -4.5%
2013 2,736 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -15.7%
2017 3,129 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +14.4%
2018 3,034 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -3.0%
2021 4,414 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +45.5%
2022 4,549 Full-time equivalent (FTE) +3.1%
2023 4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE) -7.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 886.86 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1,204 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 5
1990s 1,643 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 1,188 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2,390 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 10
2000s 3,047 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2,646 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 3,414 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 9
2010s 3,036 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2,736 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 3,244 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 4
2020s 4,396 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 4,549 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 3

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 42 Latvia 6,990 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  2. 42 Latvia 6,990 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  3. 44 Luxembourg 5,958 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  4. 46 North Macedonia 3,812 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  5. 47 Malta 2,431 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  6. 48 Cyprus 2,325 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare

See the full ranking of 54 places →

More science & technology data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland?
R&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland was 4,226 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2023, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 4,549 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2022.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 743.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 1981.
How does Iceland rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex?
Iceland ranks 45th out of 50 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland 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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R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-professional-position-and-sex/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex
Unit
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
54 places, 1,706 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed