R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex was 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
8th
of 50 countries
All-time high
486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2019
All-time low
257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 1993
Years of data
36
1981–2019
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom, 1981–2019
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Full-time equivalent (FTE).
Analysis
The most recent figure for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom is 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE), measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and up 39.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom peaked at 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2019 and was at its lowest, 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE), in 1993.
That places United Kingdom 8th out of 50 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Full-time equivalent (FTE) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 312,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | — |
| 1982 | 308,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 303,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 296,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 289,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 291,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 288,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 290,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 281,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 280,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 261,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -6.8% |
| 1992 | 258,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 267,783 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 276,857 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 271,580 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 266,719 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 284,489 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 289,945 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 288,599 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 299,205 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 324,916 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 334,804 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 343,855 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 342,086 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 347,486 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 350,766 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 356,258 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 356,484 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 377,343 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 396,281 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 413,860 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 417,390 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 443,597 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 463,476 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | +4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 295,333 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 281,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 312,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 9 |
| 1990s | 271,337 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 289,945 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 10 |
| 2000s | 325,850 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 288,599 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 347,486 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 7 |
| 2010s | 406,154 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 350,766 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) | 10 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 5 Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 5 South Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 7 France 520,816 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 10 Italy 351,433 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
- 11 Türkiye 310,472 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
More science & technology data for United Kingdom
- Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications 4,653 Patents (2023)
- Domestic ownership of inventions made abroad — Patent applications 0 Patents (2023)
- Foreign ownership of domestic inventions — Patent applications 0 Patents (2023)
- Indicators of international co-operation — Patent applications 0 Patents (2023)
- Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent grants 667.92 Patents (2022)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 21,623 Thousand persons (2019)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, NUTS 1 21,623 Thousand persons (2019)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category, NUTS 1 21,623 Thousand persons (2019)
- R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, sex and NUTS 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) (2019)
- Individuals who used the internet, frequency of use and activities 96.3% (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom?
- R&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom was 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2019, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2019.
- What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 1993.
- How does United Kingdom rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 50 countries with data for 2019.
- Is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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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