Researchers in R&D (per million people) by country
The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental...
Countries reporting
103
Highest
9,472 per million people
Republic of Korea
Lowest
1.45 per million people
Guatemala
Median
1,313 per million people
Years covered
29
1996–2024
Data points
2,361
What the numbers show
Researchers in R&D (per million people) is currently reported for 103 countries. The highest value is 9,472 per million people in Republic of Korea; the lowest is 1.45 per million people in Guatemala.
The median across all reporting countries is 1,313 per million people, and the mean is 2,478 per million people.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 6,552.
Over the past decade 79 countries rose and 20 fell. The largest increase was in Rwanda (up 767.8%), and the largest decrease in Guatemala (down 91.9%).
Researchers in R&D: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Republic of Korea | 9,472 per million people | 2023 | up 46.7% | rising |
| 2 | Sweden | 8,911 per million people | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 3 | Denmark | 8,838 per million people | 2023 | up 24.2% | rising |
| 4 | Singapore | 8,782 per million people | 2022 | up 34.8% | rising |
| 5 | Finland | 8,315 per million people | 2023 | up 15.1% | flat |
| 6 | Norway | 7,451 per million people | 2023 | up 32.9% | rising |
| 7 | Austria | 6,634 per million people | 2023 | up 38.7% | rising |
| 8 | Netherlands | 6,563 per million people | 2023 | up 34.3% | rising |
| 9 | Switzerland | 6,108 per million people | 2023 | up 35.8% | rising |
| 10 | Belgium | 5,990 per million people | 2023 | up 43.9% | rising |
| 11 | Portugal | 5,983 per million people | 2023 | up 65.9% | rising |
| 12 | Iceland | 5,953 per million people | 2023 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 13 | Germany | 5,926 per million people | 2023 | up 35.3% | rising |
| 14 | Hong Kong, China | 5,874 per million people | 2024 | up 67.2% | rising |
| 15 | Ireland | 5,753 per million people | 2023 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 16 | Canada | 5,624 per million people | 2022 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 17 | Slovenia | 5,616 per million people | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 18 | Japan | 5,609 per million people | 2023 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 19 | New Zealand | 5,435 per million people | 2023 | up 34.4% | rising |
| 20 | France | 5,369 per million people | 2023 | up 29.9% | rising |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 5,359 per million people | 2023 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 22 | Greece | 5,283 per million people | 2023 | up 99.0% | rising |
| 23 | United States of America | 4,937 per million people | 2022 | up 32.2% | rising |
| 24 | Estonia | 4,800 per million people | 2023 | up 43.8% | rising |
| 25 | Macau, China | 4,634 per million people | 2024 | up 360.1% | volatile |
| 26 | Australia | 4,569 per million people | 2010 | up 31.6% | rising |
| 27 | Hungary | 4,567 per million people | 2023 | up 80.7% | rising |
| 28 | Czechia | 4,505 per million people | 2023 | up 38.1% | rising |
| 29 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 4,473 per million people | 2017 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 30 | Lithuania | 3,704 per million people | 2023 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 31 | Poland | 3,675 per million people | 2023 | up 96.7% | rising |
| 32 | Spain | 3,654 per million people | 2023 | up 39.3% | rising |
| 33 | Slovakia | 3,507 per million people | 2023 | up 28.8% | rising |
| 34 | Italy | 2,855 per million people | 2023 | up 49.0% | rising |
| 35 | Serbia | 2,688 per million people | 2024 | up 47.4% | rising |
| 36 | Türkiye | 2,645 per million people | 2023 | up 124.9% | volatile |
| 37 | Russian Federation | 2,639 per million people | 2024 | down 14.1% | falling |
| 38 | United Arab Emirates | 2,607 per million people | 2021 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 39 | Croatia | 2,440 per million people | 2023 | up 58.9% | rising |
| 40 | Bulgaria | 2,401 per million people | 2023 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 41 | Malta | 2,355 per million people | 2023 | up 25.2% | rising |
| 42 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 2,240 per million people | 2021 | up 214.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Latvia | 2,191 per million people | 2023 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 44 | Cuba | 2,171 per million people | 2024 | up 5.7% | flat |
| 45 | China | 2,107 per million people | 2023 | up 95.2% | rising |
| 46 | Georgia | 1,896 per million people | 2024 | up 68.3% | rising |
| 47 | Cyprus | 1,686 per million people | 2023 | up 63.7% | rising |
| 48 | Tunisia | 1,668 per million people | 2024 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 49 | Azerbaijan | 1,663 per million people | 2024 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 50 | Thailand | 1,592 per million people | 2023 | up 105.7% | volatile |
| 51 | Belarus | 1,568 per million people | 2024 | — | rising |
| 52 | Argentina | 1,313 per million people | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 53 | Saudi Arabia | 1,235 per million people | 2024 | — | rising |
| 54 | Malaysia | 1,218 per million people | 2022 | down 31.2% | volatile |
| 55 | Egypt | 1,120 per million people | 2024 | up 77.0% | rising |
| 56 | Morocco | 1,083 per million people | 2016 | up 65.8% | rising |
| 57 | Romania | 1,082 per million people | 2023 | up 17.1% | falling |
| 58 | Uruguay | 937.57 per million people | 2024 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 59 | Brazil | 903.2 per million people | 2014 | up 84.6% | rising |
| 60 | North Macedonia | 888.07 per million people | 2024 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 61 | Viet Nam | 836.11 per million people | 2023 | up 22.1% | rising |
| 62 | Montenegro | 764.42 per million people | 2019 | up 18.9% | rising |
| 63 | Kazakhstan | 758.01 per million people | 2024 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 64 | Oman | 739.41 per million people | 2024 | up 305.2% | volatile |
| 65 | Chile | 707.06 per million people | 2022 | up 81.4% | rising |
| 66 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 705.16 per million people | 2024 | up 148.5% | volatile |
| 67 | Mauritius | 688.53 per million people | 2024 | up 289.1% | rising |
| 68 | Republic of Moldova | 649.94 per million people | 2024 | down 29.8% | flat |
| 69 | Uzbekistan | 639.54 per million people | 2024 | up 25.7% | falling |
| 70 | Ukraine | 586.08 per million people | 2022 | down 51.6% | falling |
| 71 | Palestine, State of | 584.35 per million people | 2013 | up 670.1% | volatile |
| 72 | Senegal | 572.42 per million people | 2015 | up 116.1% | rising |
| 73 | Costa Rica | 507.76 per million people | 2023 | up 41.4% | rising |
| 74 | Trinidad and Tobago | 492.72 per million people | 2022 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 75 | Pakistan | 473.72 per million people | 2023 | up 228.0% | volatile |
| 76 | South Africa | 444.16 per million people | 2022 | up 10.8% | rising |
| 77 | Mexico | 438.25 per million people | 2024 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 78 | Ecuador | 400.26 per million people | 2014 | up 722.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Indonesia | 395.34 per million people | 2020 | up 347.6% | rising |
| 80 | Kenya | 384.02 per million people | 2024 | up 69.2% | volatile |
| 81 | Philippines | 320.28 per million people | 2020 | up 298.8% | volatile |
| 82 | India | 259.26 per million people | 2020 | up 66.0% | rising |
| 83 | Panama | 250.47 per million people | 2024 | up 170.0% | rising |
| 84 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 179.96 per million people | 2023 | down 50.6% | rising |
| 85 | Iraq | 164.28 per million people | 2021 | down 61.8% | volatile |
| 86 | Kuwait | 144.75 per million people | 2024 | down 77.3% | volatile |
| 87 | Paraguay | 138.79 per million people | 2023 | down 24.8% | rising |
| 88 | Rwanda | 133.12 per million people | 2023 | up 767.8% | volatile |
| 89 | Congo | 126.97 per million people | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 90 | Sri Lanka | 94.49 per million people | 2022 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 91 | Colombia | 90.25 per million people | 2017 | — | rising |
| 92 | Ethiopia | 89.04 per million people | 2017 | up 351.4% | volatile |
| 93 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 63.06 per million people | 2021 | down 61.3% | falling |
| 94 | Togo | 57.79 per million people | 2024 | up 57.0% | rising |
| 95 | El Salvador | 55.47 per million people | 2023 | down 14.4% | falling |
| 96 | Mozambique | 44.41 per million people | 2015 | up 170.7% | rising |
| 97 | Zambia | 41.9 per million people | 2008 | down 25.7% | falling |
| 98 | Madagascar | 32.94 per million people | 2018 | down 27.0% | rising |
| 99 | Lesotho | 32.24 per million people | 2023 | up 443.0% | volatile |
| 100 | Myanmar | 28.01 per million people | 2023 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 101 | Niger | 26.94 per million people | 2013 | up 238.6% | volatile |
| 102 | Mali | 26.04 per million people | 2023 | down 11.4% | flat |
| 103 | Guatemala | 1.45 per million people | 2023 | down 91.9% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Post-demographic dividend 5,053 per million people
- Euro area 4,867 per million people
- North America 5,009 per million people
- High income 4,607 per million people
- OECD members 4,464 per million people
- Europe & Central Asia 3,715 per million people
- Central Europe and the Baltics 3,248 per million people
- East Asia & Pacific 2,426 per million people
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 2,258 per million people
- Late-demographic dividend 2,060 per million people
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 1,938 per million people
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 1,938 per million people
About this data
The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.