R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1981–2019

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1981200020191981: 312.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1982: 308.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1983: 303.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1984: 296.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1985: 289.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1986: 291.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1987: 288.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1988: 290.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1989: 281.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1990: 280.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1991: 261.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1992: 258.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1993: 257.0k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1994: 267.8k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1995: 276.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1996: 271.6k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1997: 266.7k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1998: 284.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)1999: 289.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2000: 288.6k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2001: 299.2k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2005: 324.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2006: 334.8k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2007: 343.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2008: 342.1k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2009: 347.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2010: 350.8k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2011: 356.3k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2012: 356.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2013: 377.3k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2014: 396.3k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2015: 413.9k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2016: 417.4k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2017: 443.6k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2018: 463.5k Full-time equivalent (FTE)2019: 486.1k Full-time equivalent (FTE)

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

Analysis

In 2019, r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE). 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2019 and was at its lowest, 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE), in 1993.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th of 50 countries on this measure, 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1981 to 2019.
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%

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) is above the median for high income countries, which is 70,453 Full-time equivalent (FTE), 6.9× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 59,464 Full-time equivalent (FTE), 8.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 5 Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  2. 5 South Korea 610,824 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  3. 7 France 520,816 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  4. 8 United Kingdom 486,088 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  5. 10 Italy 351,433 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare
  6. 11 Türkiye 310,472 Full-time equivalent (FTE) compare

See the full ranking of 54 places →

More science & technology data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
R&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 257,000 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in 1993.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-professional-position-and-sex/united-kingdom/

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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