R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita in Italy

Italy: R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita was 2,855 per million people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
2,855 per million people
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
34th
of 103 countries
All-time high
2,855 per million people
in 2023
All-time low
1,138 per million people
in 1999
Years of data
28
1996–2023

R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita in Italy, 1996–2023

01.0k2.0k3.0k1996200920231996: 1.3k per million people1997: 1.1k per million people1998: 1.1k per million people1999: 1.1k per million people2000: 1.2k per million people2001: 1.2k per million people2002: 1.2k per million people2003: 1.2k per million people2004: 1.2k per million people2005: 1.4k per million people2006: 1.5k per million people2007: 1.6k per million people2008: 1.6k per million people2009: 1.7k per million people2010: 1.7k per million people2011: 1.8k per million people2012: 1.8k per million people2013: 1.9k per million people2014: 1.9k per million people2015: 2.1k per million people2016: 2.2k per million people2017: 2.3k per million people2018: 2.5k per million people2019: 2.7k per million people2020: 2.6k per million people2021: 2.7k per million people2022: 2.8k per million people2023: 2.9k per million people

Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per million people.

Analysis

Italy recorded 2,855 per million people for r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 49.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita in Italy peaked at 2,855 per million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,138 per million people, in 1999.

That places Italy 34th out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita in Italy, year by year

Annual values for R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita in Italy, 1996 to 2023.
Year per million people Change
1996 1,338 per million people —
1997 1,149 per million people -14.1%
1998 1,143 per million people -0.6%
1999 1,138 per million people -0.4%
2000 1,155 per million people +1.5%
2001 1,164 per million people +0.8%
2002 1,243 per million people +6.8%
2003 1,223 per million people -1.6%
2004 1,242 per million people +1.6%
2005 1,413 per million people +13.7%
2006 1,508 per million people +6.7%
2007 1,580 per million people +4.8%
2008 1,614 per million people +2.1%
2009 1,704 per million people +5.6%
2010 1,723 per million people +1.1%
2011 1,761 per million people +2.2%
2012 1,831 per million people +4.0%
2013 1,916 per million people +4.6%
2014 1,947 per million people +1.6%
2015 2,076 per million people +6.6%
2016 2,210 per million people +6.4%
2017 2,322 per million people +5.1%
2018 2,524 per million people +8.7%
2019 2,671 per million people +5.8%
2020 2,615 per million people -2.1%
2021 2,659 per million people +1.7%
2022 2,796 per million people +5.1%
2023 2,855 per million people +2.1%

Italy compared with similar countries

  • Italy's 2,855 per million people is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,601 per million people, 62% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
  • Italy's 2,855 per million people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,675 per million people, 78% of the median. (43 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,192 per million people 1,138 per million people 1,338 per million people 4
2000s 1,384 per million people 1,155 per million people 1,704 per million people 10
2010s 2,098 per million people 1,723 per million people 2,671 per million people 10
2020s 2,731 per million people 2,615 per million people 2,855 per million people 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 31 Poland 3,675 per million people compare
  2. 32 Spain 3,654 per million people compare
  3. 33 Slovakia 3,507 per million people compare
  4. 35 Serbia 2,688 per million people compare
  5. 36 Turkey 2,645 per million people compare
  6. 37 Russia 2,639 per million people compare

See the full ranking of 103 places →

More science & technology data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita in Italy?
R&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita in Italy was 2,855 per million people in 2023, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 2,855 per million people in 2023.
What is the lowest r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 1,138 per million people in 1999.
How does Italy rank for r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita?
Italy ranks 34th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d researchers per million people vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-in-rd-per-million-people-vs-gdp-pc/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D researchers per million people vs. GDP per capita
Unit
per million people
Source
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
103 places, 1,875 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Professionals conceiving or creating new knowledge, products, processes, methods, or systems. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.