Number of R&D researchers per million people in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Number of R&D researchers per million people was 2,401 per million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2,401 per million people
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
40th
of 103 countries
All-time high
2,557 per million people
in 2022
All-time low
1,157 per million people
in 2001
Years of data
28
1996–2023
Number of R&D researchers per million people in Bulgaria, 1996–2023
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per million people.
Analysis
In 2023, number of r&d researchers per million people in Bulgaria stood at 2,401 per million people.
That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and up 42.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of r&d researchers per million people in Bulgaria peaked at 2,557 per million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1,157 per million people, in 2001.
Bulgaria ranks 40th of 103 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Number of R&D researchers per million people in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,772 per million people | — |
| 1997 | 1,451 per million people | -18.1% |
| 1998 | 1,464 per million people | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 1,306 per million people | -10.8% |
| 2000 | 1,180 per million people | -9.7% |
| 2001 | 1,157 per million people | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 1,169 per million people | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 1,224 per million people | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 1,264 per million people | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 1,302 per million people | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 1,348 per million people | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 1,471 per million people | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 1,506 per million people | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 1,593 per million people | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 1,471 per million people | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 1,606 per million people | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 1,537 per million people | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 1,685 per million people | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 1,822 per million people | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 1,977 per million people | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 2,237 per million people | +13.2% |
| 2017 | 2,125 per million people | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 2,343 per million people | +10.3% |
| 2019 | 2,420 per million people | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 2,401 per million people | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 2,347 per million people | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 2,557 per million people | +9.0% |
| 2023 | 2,401 per million people | -6.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 2,401 per million people is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,601 per million people, 52% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 2,401 per million people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,675 per million people, 65% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,498 per million people | 1,306 per million people | 1,772 per million people | 4 |
| 2000s | 1,321 per million people | 1,157 per million people | 1,593 per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,922 per million people | 1,471 per million people | 2,420 per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,426 per million people | 2,347 per million people | 2,557 per million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More science & technology data for Bulgaria
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 118.07 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.24 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 7.98 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 73.83 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.1136 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -0.4474 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 7 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 7 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of r&d researchers per million people in Bulgaria?
- Number of r&d researchers per million people in Bulgaria was 2,401 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 number of r&d researchers per million people recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 2,557 per million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of r&d researchers per million people recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,157 per million people in 2001.
- How does Bulgaria rank for number of r&d researchers per million people?
- Bulgaria ranks 40th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of r&d researchers per million people rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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 Number of R&D researchers per million people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Professionals engaged in conceiving or creating new knowledge, products, processes, methods, or systems.