Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
103
Highest
9,472 FTE
Korea
Lowest
1.45 FTE
Guatemala
Median
1,313 FTE
Years covered
29
1996–2024
Data points
3,275
What the numbers show
Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) is currently reported for 103 countries. The highest value is 9,472 FTE in Korea; the lowest is 1.45 FTE in Guatemala.
The median across all reporting countries is 1,313 FTE, and the mean is 2,478 FTE.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 6,552.
Over the past decade 79 countries rose and 20 fell. The largest increase was in Rwanda (up 767.8%), and the largest decrease in Guatemala (down 91.9%).
Researchers per million inhabitants: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea | 9,472 FTE | 2023 | up 46.7% | rising |
| 2 | Sweden | 8,911 FTE | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 3 | Denmark | 8,838 FTE | 2023 | up 24.2% | rising |
| 4 | Singapore | 8,782 FTE | 2022 | up 34.8% | rising |
| 5 | Finland | 8,315 FTE | 2023 | up 15.1% | flat |
| 6 | Norway | 7,451 FTE | 2023 | up 32.9% | rising |
| 7 | Austria | 6,634 FTE | 2023 | up 38.7% | rising |
| 8 | Netherlands | 6,563 FTE | 2023 | up 34.3% | rising |
| 9 | Switzerland | 6,108 FTE | 2023 | up 35.8% | rising |
| 10 | Belgium | 5,990 FTE | 2023 | up 43.9% | rising |
| 11 | Portugal | 5,983 FTE | 2023 | up 65.9% | rising |
| 12 | Iceland | 5,953 FTE | 2023 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 13 | Germany | 5,926 FTE | 2023 | up 35.3% | rising |
| 14 | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China | 5,874 FTE | 2024 | up 67.2% | rising |
| 15 | Ireland | 5,753 FTE | 2023 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 16 | Canada | 5,624 FTE | 2022 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 17 | Slovenia | 5,616 FTE | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 18 | Japan | 5,609 FTE | 2023 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 19 | New Zealand | 5,435 FTE | 2023 | up 34.4% | rising |
| 20 | France | 5,369 FTE | 2023 | up 29.9% | rising |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 5,359 FTE | 2023 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 22 | Greece | 5,283 FTE | 2023 | up 99.0% | rising |
| 23 | United States | 4,937 FTE | 2022 | up 32.2% | rising |
| 24 | Estonia | 4,800 FTE | 2023 | up 43.8% | rising |
| 25 | Macao Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China | 4,634 FTE | 2024 | up 360.1% | volatile |
| 26 | Australia | 4,569 FTE | 2010 | up 31.6% | rising |
| 27 | Hungary | 4,567 FTE | 2023 | up 80.7% | rising |
| 28 | Czechia | 4,505 FTE | 2023 | up 38.1% | rising |
| 29 | United Kingdom | 4,473 FTE | 2017 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 30 | Lithuania | 3,704 FTE | 2023 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 31 | Poland | 3,675 FTE | 2023 | up 96.7% | rising |
| 32 | Spain | 3,654 FTE | 2023 | up 39.3% | rising |
| 33 | Slovak Republic | 3,507 FTE | 2023 | up 28.8% | rising |
| 34 | Italy | 2,855 FTE | 2023 | up 49.0% | rising |
| 35 | Serbia, Republic of | 2,688 FTE | 2024 | up 47.4% | rising |
| 36 | Türkiye | 2,645 FTE | 2023 | up 124.9% | volatile |
| 37 | Russian Federation | 2,639 FTE | 2024 | down 14.1% | falling |
| 38 | United Arab Emirates | 2,607 FTE | 2021 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 39 | Croatia | 2,440 FTE | 2023 | up 58.9% | rising |
| 40 | Bulgaria | 2,401 FTE | 2023 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 41 | Malta | 2,355 FTE | 2023 | up 25.2% | rising |
| 42 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 2,240 FTE | 2021 | up 214.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Latvia | 2,191 FTE | 2023 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 44 | Cuba | 2,171 FTE | 2024 | up 5.7% | flat |
| 45 | China (People’s Republic of) | 2,107 FTE | 2023 | up 95.2% | rising |
| 46 | Georgia | 1,896 FTE | 2024 | up 68.3% | rising |
| 47 | Cyprus | 1,686 FTE | 2023 | up 63.7% | rising |
| 48 | Tunisia | 1,668 FTE | 2024 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 49 | Azerbaijan, Republic of | 1,663 FTE | 2024 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 50 | Thailand | 1,592 FTE | 2023 | up 105.7% | volatile |
| 51 | Belarus, Republic of | 1,568 FTE | 2024 | — | rising |
| 52 | Argentina | 1,313 FTE | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 53 | Saudi Arabia | 1,235 FTE | 2024 | — | rising |
| 54 | Malaysia | 1,218 FTE | 2022 | down 31.2% | volatile |
| 55 | Egypt, Arab Republic of | 1,120 FTE | 2024 | up 77.0% | rising |
| 56 | Morocco | 1,083 FTE | 2016 | up 65.8% | rising |
| 57 | Romania | 1,082 FTE | 2023 | up 17.1% | falling |
| 58 | Uruguay | 937.57 FTE | 2024 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 59 | Brazil | 903.2 FTE | 2014 | up 84.6% | rising |
| 60 | North Macedonia, Republic of | 888.07 FTE | 2024 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 61 | Vietnam | 836.11 FTE | 2023 | up 22.1% | rising |
| 62 | Montenegro | 764.42 FTE | 2019 | up 18.9% | rising |
| 63 | Kazakhstan, Republic of | 758.01 FTE | 2024 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 64 | Oman | 739.41 FTE | 2024 | up 305.2% | volatile |
| 65 | Chile | 707.06 FTE | 2022 | up 81.4% | rising |
| 66 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 705.16 FTE | 2024 | up 148.5% | volatile |
| 67 | Mauritius | 688.53 FTE | 2024 | up 289.1% | rising |
| 68 | Moldova, Republic of | 649.94 FTE | 2024 | down 29.8% | flat |
| 69 | Uzbekistan, Republic of | 639.54 FTE | 2024 | up 25.7% | falling |
| 70 | Ukraine | 586.08 FTE | 2022 | down 51.6% | falling |
| 71 | Palestine, State of | 584.35 FTE | 2013 | up 670.1% | volatile |
| 72 | Senegal | 572.42 FTE | 2015 | up 116.1% | rising |
| 73 | Costa Rica | 507.76 FTE | 2023 | up 41.4% | rising |
| 74 | Trinidad and Tobago | 492.72 FTE | 2022 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 75 | Pakistan | 473.72 FTE | 2023 | up 228.0% | volatile |
| 76 | South Africa | 444.16 FTE | 2022 | up 10.8% | rising |
| 77 | Mexico | 438.25 FTE | 2024 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 78 | Ecuador | 400.26 FTE | 2014 | up 722.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Indonesia | 395.34 FTE | 2020 | up 347.6% | rising |
| 80 | Kenya | 384.02 FTE | 2024 | up 69.2% | volatile |
| 81 | Philippines | 320.28 FTE | 2020 | up 298.8% | volatile |
| 82 | India | 259.26 FTE | 2020 | up 66.0% | rising |
| 83 | Panama | 250.47 FTE | 2024 | up 170.0% | rising |
| 84 | Venezuela, República Bolivariana de | 179.96 FTE | 2023 | down 50.6% | rising |
| 85 | Iraq | 164.28 FTE | 2021 | down 61.8% | volatile |
| 86 | Kuwait | 144.75 FTE | 2024 | down 77.3% | volatile |
| 87 | Paraguay | 138.79 FTE | 2023 | down 24.8% | rising |
| 88 | Rwanda | 133.12 FTE | 2023 | up 767.8% | volatile |
| 89 | Congo, Republic of | 126.97 FTE | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 90 | Sri Lanka | 94.49 FTE | 2022 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 91 | Colombia | 90.25 FTE | 2017 | — | rising |
| 92 | Ethiopia, The Federal Democratic Republic of | 89.04 FTE | 2017 | up 351.4% | volatile |
| 93 | Bolivia | 63.06 FTE | 2021 | down 61.3% | falling |
| 94 | Togo | 57.79 FTE | 2024 | up 57.0% | rising |
| 95 | El Salvador | 55.47 FTE | 2023 | down 14.4% | falling |
| 96 | Mozambique, Republic of | 44.41 FTE | 2015 | up 170.7% | rising |
| 97 | Zambia | 41.9 FTE | 2008 | down 25.7% | falling |
| 98 | Madagascar, Republic of | 32.94 FTE | 2018 | down 27.0% | rising |
| 99 | Lesotho, Kingdom of | 32.24 FTE | 2023 | up 443.0% | volatile |
| 100 | Myanmar | 28.01 FTE | 2023 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 101 | Niger | 26.94 FTE | 2013 | up 238.6% | volatile |
| 102 | Mali | 26.04 FTE | 2023 | down 11.4% | flat |
| 103 | Guatemala | 1.45 FTE | 2023 | down 91.9% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) 6,827 FTE
- UIS: North America and Western Europe 5,119 FTE
- SDG: Northern America 5,006 FTE
- SDG: Australia and New Zealand 4,864 FTE
- WB: High Income (july 2025) 4,692 FTE
- MDG: Developed Regions 4,516 FTE
- SDG: Europe, Northern America, Australia and New Zealand 4,371 FTE
- SDG: Europe and Northern America 4,358 FTE
- SDG: Europe 4,025 FTE
- SDG: Oceania 3,423 FTE
- SDG: Eastern Asia 2,632 FTE
- UIS: Central and Eastern Europe 2,520 FTE
About this data
February 2026 Data Release