R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers in Japan

Japan: R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers was 599,860 Persons in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
599,860 Persons
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
2nd
of 36 countries
All-time high
618,551 Persons
in 2022
All-time low
460,053 Persons
in 2002
Years of data
23
2001–2023

R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers in Japan, 2001–2023

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2001201220232001: 462.0k Persons2002: 460.1k Persons2003: 497.6k Persons2004: 490.6k Persons2005: 519.4k Persons2006: 527.1k Persons2007: 535.1k Persons2008: 539.6k Persons2009: 534.6k Persons2010: 537.3k Persons2011: 534.9k Persons2012: 528.3k Persons2013: 531.4k Persons2014: 560.5k Persons2015: 540.9k Persons2016: 547.3k Persons2017: 557.0k Persons2018: 560.0k Persons2019: 562.9k Persons2020: 571.0k Persons2021: 598.8k Persons2022: 618.6k Persons2023: 599.9k Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

Japan recorded 599,860 Persons for r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers in Japan peaked at 618,551 Persons in 2022 and was at its lowest, 460,053 Persons, in 2002.

That places Japan 2nd out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers in Japan, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers in Japan, 2001 to 2023.
Year Persons Change
2001 461,962 Persons
2002 460,053 Persons -0.4%
2003 497,620 Persons +8.2%
2004 490,551 Persons -1.4%
2005 519,360 Persons +5.9%
2006 527,100 Persons +1.5%
2007 535,121 Persons +1.5%
2008 539,591 Persons +0.8%
2009 534,568 Persons -0.9%
2010 537,293 Persons +0.5%
2011 534,908 Persons -0.4%
2012 528,300 Persons -1.2%
2013 531,423 Persons +0.6%
2014 560,466 Persons +5.5%
2015 540,895 Persons -3.5%
2016 547,344 Persons +1.2%
2017 557,050 Persons +1.8%
2018 559,983 Persons +0.5%
2019 562,901 Persons +0.5%
2020 570,974 Persons +1.4%
2021 598,833 Persons +4.9%
2022 618,551 Persons +3.3%
2023 599,860 Persons -3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 507,325 Persons 460,053 Persons 539,591 Persons 9
2010s 546,056 Persons 528,300 Persons 562,901 Persons 10
2020s 597,054 Persons 570,974 Persons 618,551 Persons 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 1 United States of America 1.47 million Persons compare
  2. 3 Germany 359,321 Persons compare
  3. 4 France 300,285 Persons compare
  4. 4 Türkiye 158,816 Persons compare
  5. 5 Russian Federation 185,358 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More science & technology data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers in Japan?
R&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers in Japan was 599,860 Persons in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 618,551 Persons in 2022.
What is the lowest r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 460,053 Persons in 2002.
How does Japan rank for r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers?
Japan ranks 2nd out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel by sector of performance - regions — researchers rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-regions-researchers/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance - Regions — Researchers
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 897 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

This table contains research and development (R&D) personnel statistics in large (TL2) regions. Indicators covered Number of R&D personnel is provided in both headcounts and full-time equivalent on R&D by sex, sector of performance (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit). Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table (xls) and the OECD Territorial grid (pdf). Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats Further information Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development Frascati Manual 2015 The interactive web-tool OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas The report OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For any question or comment, please write to RegionStat@oecd.org