Researchers per million inhabitants in Japan

Japan: Researchers per million inhabitants was 5,609 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,609 FTE
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
18th
of 103 countries
All-time high
5,630 FTE
in 2022
All-time low
4,891 FTE
in 2002
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in Japan, 1996–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1996200920231996: 4.9k FTE1997: 5.0k FTE1998: 5.2k FTE1999: 5.2k FTE2000: 5.1k FTE2001: 5.1k FTE2002: 4.9k FTE2003: 5.1k FTE2004: 5.1k FTE2005: 5.3k FTE2006: 5.4k FTE2007: 5.3k FTE2008: 5.1k FTE2009: 5.1k FTE2010: 5.1k FTE2011: 5.1k FTE2012: 5.0k FTE2013: 5.2k FTE2014: 5.4k FTE2015: 5.2k FTE2016: 5.2k FTE2017: 5.3k FTE2018: 5.3k FTE2019: 5.4k FTE2020: 5.5k FTE2021: 5.6k FTE2022: 5.6k FTE2023: 5.6k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

In 2023, researchers per million inhabitants in Japan stood at 5,609 FTE.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in Japan peaked at 5,630 FTE in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4,891 FTE, in 2002.

Japan ranks 18th 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 Japan, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in Japan, 1996 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1996 4,906 FTE
1997 4,959 FTE +1.1%
1998 5,164 FTE +4.1%
1999 5,201 FTE +0.7%
2000 5,102 FTE -1.9%
2001 5,136 FTE +0.7%
2002 4,891 FTE -4.8%
2003 5,113 FTE +4.5%
2004 5,117 FTE +0.1%
2005 5,322 FTE +4.0%
2006 5,353 FTE +0.6%
2007 5,344 FTE -0.2%
2008 5,125 FTE -4.1%
2009 5,114 FTE -0.2%
2010 5,117 FTE +0.1%
2011 5,123 FTE +0.1%
2012 5,049 FTE -1.5%
2013 5,167 FTE +2.3%
2014 5,352 FTE +3.6%
2015 5,198 FTE -2.9%
2016 5,233 FTE +0.7%
2017 5,320 FTE +1.7%
2018 5,340 FTE +0.4%
2019 5,376 FTE +0.7%
2020 5,450 FTE +1.4%
2021 5,590 FTE +2.6%
2022 5,630 FTE +0.7%
2023 5,609 FTE -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5,058 FTE 4,906 FTE 5,201 FTE 4
2000s 5,162 FTE 4,891 FTE 5,353 FTE 10
2010s 5,227 FTE 5,049 FTE 5,376 FTE 10
2020s 5,570 FTE 5,450 FTE 5,630 FTE 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 15 Ireland 5,753 FTE compare
  2. 16 Canada 5,624 FTE compare
  3. 17 Slovenia 5,616 FTE compare
  4. 19 New Zealand 5,435 FTE compare
  5. 20 France 5,369 FTE compare
  6. 21 Luxembourg 5,359 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in Japan?
Researchers per million inhabitants in Japan was 5,609 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 5,630 FTE in 2022.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 4,891 FTE in 2002.
How does Japan rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
Japan ranks 18th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan 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 Japan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/japan/

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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