Number of R&D researchers per million people in Singapore
Singapore: Number of R&D researchers per million people was 8,782 per million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
8,782 per million people
Change on year
up 10.4%
World rank
4th
of 103 countries
All-time high
8,782 per million people
in 2022
All-time low
2,532 per million people
in 1996
Years of data
27
1996–2022
Number of R&D researchers per million people in Singapore, 1996–2022
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per million people.
Analysis
Singapore recorded 8,782 per million people for number of r&d researchers per million people in 2022. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 10.4% on the previous year and up 34.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of r&d researchers per million people in Singapore peaked at 8,782 per million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2,532 per million people, in 1996.
Singapore ranks 4th of 103 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Number of R&D researchers per million people in Singapore, year by year
| Year | per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2,532 per million people | — |
| 1997 | 2,600 per million people | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 2,952 per million people | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 3,196 per million people | +8.3% |
| 2000 | 4,168 per million people | +30.4% |
| 2001 | 4,104 per million people | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 4,363 per million people | +6.3% |
| 2003 | 4,836 per million people | +10.8% |
| 2004 | 5,165 per million people | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 5,651 per million people | +9.4% |
| 2006 | 5,786 per million people | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 6,084 per million people | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 5,916 per million people | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 6,220 per million people | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 6,368 per million people | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 6,579 per million people | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 6,514 per million people | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 6,735 per million people | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 6,756 per million people | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 7,135 per million people | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 7,053 per million people | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 6,950 per million people | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 7,002 per million people | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 7,510 per million people | +7.2% |
| 2020 | 7,503 per million people | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 7,956 per million people | +6.0% |
| 2022 | 8,782 per million people | +10.4% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 8,782 per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 4,601 per million people, 1.9× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 8,782 per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,338 per million people, 2.6× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,820 per million people | 2,532 per million people | 3,196 per million people | 4 |
| 2000s | 5,229 per million people | 4,104 per million people | 6,220 per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,860 per million people | 6,368 per million people | 7,510 per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,080 per million people | 7,503 per million people | 8,782 per million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More science & technology data for Singapore
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 170.78 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.65 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 9.96 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 13,965 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -0.6582 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 11,523 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 11,523 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of r&d researchers per million people in Singapore?
- Number of r&d researchers per million people in Singapore was 8,782 per million people in 2022, 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 8,782 per million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of r&d researchers per million people recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,532 per million people in 1996.
- How does Singapore rank for number of r&d researchers per million people?
- Singapore ranks 4th out of 103 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of r&d researchers per million people rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
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About this data
Professionals engaged in conceiving or creating new knowledge, products, processes, methods, or systems.