Researchers in R&D in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Researchers in R&D was 4,473 per million people in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
4,473 per million people
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
29th
of 103 countries
All-time high
4,473 per million people
in 2017
All-time low
2,486 per million people
in 1996
Years of data
22
1996–2017

Researchers in R&D in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1996–2017

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1996200620171996: 2.5k per million people1997: 2.5k per million people1998: 2.7k per million people1999: 2.9k per million people2000: 2.9k per million people2001: 3.1k per million people2002: 3.3k per million people2003: 3.6k per million people2004: 3.8k per million people2005: 4.1k per million people2006: 4.2k per million people2007: 4.1k per million people2008: 4.1k per million people2009: 4.1k per million people2010: 4.1k per million people2011: 4.0k per million people2012: 4.0k per million people2013: 4.2k per million people2014: 4.3k per million people2015: 4.4k per million people2016: 4.4k per million people2017: 4.5k per million people

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

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 4,473 per million people for researchers in r&d in 2017. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers in r&d in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 4,473 per million people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2,486 per million people, in 1996.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 29th of 103 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Researchers in R&D in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Researchers in R&D (per million people) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1996 to 2017.
Year per million people Change
1996 2,486 per million people
1997 2,495 per million people +0.4%
1998 2,694 per million people +8.0%
1999 2,853 per million people +5.9%
2000 2,893 per million people +1.4%
2001 3,078 per million people +6.4%
2002 3,336 per million people +8.4%
2003 3,631 per million people +8.9%
2004 3,818 per million people +5.1%
2005 4,118 per million people +7.8%
2006 4,176 per million people +1.4%
2007 4,123 per million people -1.3%
2008 4,077 per million people -1.1%
2009 4,113 per million people +0.9%
2010 4,089 per million people -0.6%
2011 3,973 per million people -2.8%
2012 4,018 per million people +1.1%
2013 4,172 per million people +3.8%
2014 4,281 per million people +2.6%
2015 4,390 per million people +2.5%
2016 4,435 per million people +1.0%
2017 4,473 per million people +0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,632 per million people 2,486 per million people 2,853 per million people 4
2000s 3,736 per million people 2,893 per million people 4,176 per million people 10
2010s 4,229 per million people 3,973 per million people 4,473 per million people 8

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 26 Australia 4,569 per million people compare
  2. 27 Hungary 4,567 per million people compare
  3. 28 Czechia 4,505 per million people compare
  4. 30 Lithuania 3,704 per million people compare
  5. 31 Poland 3,675 per million people compare
  6. 32 Spain 3,654 per million people compare

See the full ranking of 128 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 researchers in r&d in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Researchers in r&d in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 4,473 per million people in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest researchers in r&d recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 4,473 per million people in 2017.
What is the lowest researchers in r&d recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 2,486 per million people in 1996.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for researchers in r&d?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 29th out of 103 countries with data for 2017.
Is researchers in r&d rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. 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 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-in-r-and-d-per-million-people/united-kingdom/

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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.