Researchers per million inhabitants in France

France: Researchers per million inhabitants was 5,369 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,369 FTE
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
20th
of 103 countries
All-time high
5,369 FTE
in 2023
All-time low
2,646 FTE
in 1997
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in France, 1996–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1996200920231996: 2.7k FTE1997: 2.6k FTE1998: 2.7k FTE1999: 2.7k FTE2000: 2.9k FTE2001: 3.0k FTE2002: 3.1k FTE2003: 3.2k FTE2004: 3.3k FTE2005: 3.3k FTE2006: 3.4k FTE2007: 3.6k FTE2008: 3.6k FTE2009: 3.7k FTE2010: 3.8k FTE2011: 3.9k FTE2012: 4.1k FTE2013: 4.1k FTE2014: 4.2k FTE2015: 4.3k FTE2016: 4.4k FTE2017: 4.5k FTE2018: 4.7k FTE2019: 4.8k FTE2020: 4.9k FTE2021: 5.1k FTE2022: 5.2k FTE2023: 5.4k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

In 2023, researchers per million inhabitants in France stood at 5,369 FTE. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 29.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in France peaked at 5,369 FTE in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,646 FTE, in 1997.

France ranks 20th of 103 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Researchers per million inhabitants in France, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in France, 1996 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1996 2,656 FTE
1997 2,646 FTE -0.4%
1998 2,655 FTE +0.3%
1999 2,724 FTE +2.6%
2000 2,903 FTE +6.6%
2001 2,971 FTE +2.4%
2002 3,101 FTE +4.4%
2003 3,185 FTE +2.7%
2004 3,321 FTE +4.3%
2005 3,298 FTE -0.7%
2006 3,405 FTE +3.3%
2007 3,564 FTE +4.7%
2008 3,636 FTE +2.0%
2009 3,723 FTE +2.4%
2010 3,850 FTE +3.4%
2011 3,921 FTE +1.8%
2012 4,052 FTE +3.4%
2013 4,134 FTE +2.0%
2014 4,210 FTE +1.9%
2015 4,311 FTE +2.4%
2016 4,392 FTE +1.9%
2017 4,547 FTE +3.5%
2018 4,671 FTE +2.7%
2019 4,774 FTE +2.2%
2020 4,883 FTE +2.3%
2021 5,058 FTE +3.6%
2022 5,182 FTE +2.4%
2023 5,369 FTE +3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,670 FTE 2,646 FTE 2,724 FTE 4
2000s 3,311 FTE 2,903 FTE 3,723 FTE 10
2010s 4,286 FTE 3,850 FTE 4,774 FTE 10
2020s 5,123 FTE 4,883 FTE 5,369 FTE 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 17 Slovenia 5,616 FTE compare
  2. 18 Japan 5,609 FTE compare
  3. 19 New Zealand 5,435 FTE compare
  4. 21 Luxembourg 5,359 FTE compare
  5. 22 Greece 5,283 FTE compare
  6. 23 United States of America 4,937 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in France?
Researchers per million inhabitants in France was 5,369 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 5,369 FTE in 2023.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 2,646 FTE in 1997.
How does France rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
France ranks 20th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Researchers per million inhabitants in France. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE)
Unit
FTE
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
153 places, 3,275 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release