Researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland

Iceland: Researchers per million inhabitants was 5,953 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,953 FTE
Change on year
down 13.3%
World rank
12th
of 103 countries
All-time high
7,999 FTE
in 2006
All-time low
3,321 FTE
in 1996
Years of data
18
1996–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland, 1996–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1996200920231996: 3.3k FTE1997: 5.0k FTE1998: 5.2k FTE1999: 5.7k FTE2001: 6.6k FTE2003: 6.6k FTE2005: 7.3k FTE2006: 8.0k FTE2007: 7.2k FTE2008: 7.3k FTE2009: 7.8k FTE2011: 7.1k FTE2013: 5.7k FTE2017: 6.0k FTE2018: 5.6k FTE2021: 6.9k FTE2022: 6.9k FTE2023: 6.0k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

In 2023, researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland stood at 5,953 FTE.

That represents a change of down 13.3% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland peaked at 7,999 FTE in 2006 and was at its lowest, 3,321 FTE, in 1996.

That places Iceland 12th out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in Iceland, 1996 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1996 3,321 FTE
1997 4,968 FTE +49.6%
1998 5,191 FTE +4.5%
1999 5,720 FTE +10.2%
2001 6,560 FTE +14.7%
2003 6,644 FTE +1.3%
2005 7,338 FTE +10.4%
2006 7,999 FTE +9.0%
2007 7,176 FTE -10.3%
2008 7,313 FTE +1.9%
2009 7,841 FTE +7.2%
2011 7,089 FTE -9.6%
2013 5,740 FTE -19.0%
2017 5,980 FTE +4.2%
2018 5,646 FTE -5.6%
2021 6,941 FTE +22.9%
2022 6,864 FTE -1.1%
2023 5,953 FTE -13.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4,800 FTE 3,321 FTE 5,720 FTE 4
2000s 7,267 FTE 6,560 FTE 7,999 FTE 7
2010s 6,113 FTE 5,646 FTE 7,089 FTE 4
2020s 6,586 FTE 5,953 FTE 6,941 FTE 3

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 9 Switzerland 6,108 FTE compare
  2. 10 Belgium 5,990 FTE compare
  3. 11 Portugal 5,983 FTE compare
  4. 13 Germany 5,926 FTE compare
  5. 14 Hong Kong, China 5,874 FTE compare
  6. 15 Ireland 5,753 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland?
Researchers per million inhabitants in Iceland was 5,953 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 7,999 FTE in 2006.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 3,321 FTE in 1996.
How does Iceland rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
Iceland ranks 12th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland 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 Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/iceland/

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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