Researchers in R&D in Sweden

Sweden: Researchers in R&D was 8,911 per million people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
8,911 per million people
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
2nd
of 103 countries
All-time high
8,911 per million people
in 2023
All-time low
4,170 per million people
in 1997
Years of data
24
1997–2023

Researchers in R&D in Sweden, 1997–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1997201020231997: 4.2k per million people1999: 4.5k per million people2001: 5.2k per million people2003: 5.4k per million people2004: 5.4k per million people2005: 6.1k per million people2006: 6.2k per million people2007: 5.0k per million people2008: 5.5k per million people2009: 5.1k per million people2010: 5.3k per million people2011: 5.2k per million people2012: 5.2k per million people2013: 6.7k per million people2014: 6.9k per million people2015: 6.8k per million people2016: 7.1k per million people2017: 7.3k per million people2018: 7.4k per million people2019: 7.7k per million people2020: 7.8k per million people2021: 8.2k per million people2022: 8.6k per million people2023: 8.9k per million people

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for researchers in r&d in Sweden is 8,911 per million people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 32.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers in r&d in Sweden peaked at 8,911 per million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4,170 per million people, in 1997.

Sweden ranks 2nd of 103 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Researchers in R&D in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Researchers in R&D (per million people) in Sweden, 1997 to 2023.
Year per million people Change
1997 4,170 per million people
1999 4,509 per million people +8.1%
2001 5,178 per million people +14.8%
2003 5,389 per million people +4.1%
2004 5,435 per million people +0.8%
2005 6,103 per million people +12.3%
2006 6,159 per million people +0.9%
2007 5,027 per million people -18.4%
2008 5,469 per million people +8.8%
2009 5,111 per million people -6.5%
2010 5,279 per million people +3.3%
2011 5,172 per million people -2.0%
2012 5,197 per million people +0.5%
2013 6,718 per million people +29.3%
2014 6,909 per million people +2.9%
2015 6,846 per million people -0.9%
2016 7,143 per million people +4.3%
2017 7,317 per million people +2.4%
2018 7,426 per million people +1.5%
2019 7,686 per million people +3.5%
2020 7,755 per million people +0.9%
2021 8,160 per million people +5.2%
2022 8,639 per million people +5.9%
2023 8,911 per million people +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4,339 per million people 4,170 per million people 4,509 per million people 2
2000s 5,484 per million people 5,027 per million people 6,159 per million people 8
2010s 6,569 per million people 5,172 per million people 7,686 per million people 10
2020s 8,366 per million people 7,755 per million people 8,911 per million people 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 1 South Korea 9,472 per million people compare
  2. 3 Denmark 8,838 per million people compare
  3. 4 Singapore 8,782 per million people compare
  4. 5 Finland 8,315 per million people compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More science & technology data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers in r&d in Sweden?
Researchers in r&d in Sweden was 8,911 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 Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 8,911 per million people in 2023.
What is the lowest researchers in r&d recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 4,170 per million people in 1997.
How does Sweden rank for researchers in r&d?
Sweden ranks 2nd out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers in r&d rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden 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 Sweden. 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/sweden/

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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.