Researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand

New Zealand: Researchers per million inhabitants was 5,435 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,435 FTE
Change on year
up 6.7%
World rank
19th
of 103 countries
All-time high
5,665 FTE
in 2019
All-time low
2,200 FTE
in 1997
Years of data
14
1997–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand, 1997–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1997201020231997: 2.2k FTE1999: 2.3k FTE2001: 2.7k FTE2003: 3.1k FTE2005: 3.2k FTE2007: 3.5k FTE2009: 3.8k FTE2011: 3.7k FTE2013: 4.0k FTE2015: 5.5k FTE2017: 5.0k FTE2019: 5.7k FTE2021: 5.1k FTE2023: 5.4k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand is 5,435 FTE, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 6.7% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand peaked at 5,665 FTE in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2,200 FTE, in 1997.

That places New Zealand 19th out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in New Zealand, 1997 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1997 2,200 FTE
1999 2,292 FTE +4.2%
2001 2,669 FTE +16.5%
2003 3,100 FTE +16.1%
2005 3,159 FTE +1.9%
2007 3,473 FTE +9.9%
2009 3,760 FTE +8.3%
2011 3,731 FTE -0.8%
2013 4,044 FTE +8.4%
2015 5,477 FTE +35.4%
2017 5,036 FTE -8.1%
2019 5,665 FTE +12.5%
2021 5,095 FTE -10.1%
2023 5,435 FTE +6.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,246 FTE 2,200 FTE 2,292 FTE 2
2000s 3,232 FTE 2,669 FTE 3,760 FTE 5
2010s 4,791 FTE 3,731 FTE 5,665 FTE 5
2020s 5,265 FTE 5,095 FTE 5,435 FTE 2

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 16 Canada 5,624 FTE compare
  2. 17 Slovenia 5,616 FTE compare
  3. 18 Japan 5,609 FTE compare
  4. 20 France 5,369 FTE compare
  5. 21 Luxembourg 5,359 FTE compare
  6. 22 Greece 5,283 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand?
Researchers per million inhabitants in New Zealand was 5,435 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 5,665 FTE in 2019.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 2,200 FTE in 1997.
How does New Zealand rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
New Zealand ranks 19th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/new-zealand/

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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