Researchers in R&D in France

France: Researchers in R&D was 5,369 per million people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,369 per million people
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
20th
of 103 countries
All-time high
5,369 per million people
in 2023
All-time low
2,646 per million people
in 1997
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Researchers in R&D in France, 1996–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1996200920231996: 2.7k per million people1997: 2.6k per million people1998: 2.7k per million people1999: 2.7k per million people2000: 2.9k per million people2001: 3.0k per million people2002: 3.1k per million people2003: 3.2k per million people2004: 3.3k per million people2005: 3.3k per million people2006: 3.4k per million people2007: 3.6k per million people2008: 3.6k per million people2009: 3.7k per million people2010: 3.8k per million people2011: 3.9k per million people2012: 4.1k per million people2013: 4.1k per million people2014: 4.2k per million people2015: 4.3k per million people2016: 4.4k per million people2017: 4.5k per million people2018: 4.7k per million people2019: 4.8k per million people2020: 4.9k per million people2021: 5.1k per million people2022: 5.2k per million people2023: 5.4k per million people

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in per million people.

Analysis

France recorded 5,369 per million people for researchers in r&d in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 29.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers in r&d in France peaked at 5,369 per million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,646 per million people, in 1997.

That places France 20th out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Researchers in R&D in France, year by year

Annual values for Researchers in R&D (per million people) in France, 1996 to 2023.
Year per million people Change
1996 2,656 per million people
1997 2,646 per million people -0.4%
1998 2,655 per million people +0.3%
1999 2,724 per million people +2.6%
2000 2,903 per million people +6.6%
2001 2,971 per million people +2.4%
2002 3,101 per million people +4.4%
2003 3,185 per million people +2.7%
2004 3,321 per million people +4.3%
2005 3,298 per million people -0.7%
2006 3,405 per million people +3.3%
2007 3,564 per million people +4.7%
2008 3,636 per million people +2.0%
2009 3,723 per million people +2.4%
2010 3,850 per million people +3.4%
2011 3,921 per million people +1.8%
2012 4,052 per million people +3.4%
2013 4,134 per million people +2.0%
2014 4,210 per million people +1.9%
2015 4,311 per million people +2.4%
2016 4,392 per million people +1.9%
2017 4,547 per million people +3.5%
2018 4,671 per million people +2.7%
2019 4,774 per million people +2.2%
2020 4,883 per million people +2.3%
2021 5,058 per million people +3.6%
2022 5,182 per million people +2.4%
2023 5,369 per million people +3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,670 per million people 2,646 per million people 2,724 per million people 4
2000s 3,311 per million people 2,903 per million people 3,723 per million people 10
2010s 4,286 per million people 3,850 per million people 4,774 per million people 10
2020s 5,123 per million people 4,883 per million people 5,369 per million people 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 17 Slovenia 5,616 per million people compare
  2. 18 Japan 5,609 per million people compare
  3. 19 New Zealand 5,435 per million people compare
  4. 21 Luxembourg 5,359 per million people compare
  5. 22 Greece 5,283 per million people compare
  6. 23 United States 4,937 per million people compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More science & technology data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers in r&d in France?
Researchers in r&d in France was 5,369 per million people in 2023, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest researchers in r&d recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 5,369 per million people in 2023.
What is the lowest researchers in r&d recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 2,646 per million people in 1997.
How does France rank for researchers in r&d?
France ranks 20th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers in r&d rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Researchers in R&D (per million people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Researchers in R&D in France. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-in-r-and-d-per-million-people/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Researchers in R&D (per million people)
Unit
per million people
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,361 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

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.