Researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries

SDG: Least Developed Countries: Researchers per million inhabitants was 70.05 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
70.05 FTE
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
50th
of 50 groups
All-time high
70.05 FTE
in 2023
All-time low
41.15 FTE
in 1997
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1996–2023

0204060801996200920231996: 41.2 FTE1997: 41.2 FTE1998: 41.2 FTE1999: 41.5 FTE2000: 41.3 FTE2001: 42.4 FTE2002: 43.8 FTE2003: 44.4 FTE2004: 44.9 FTE2005: 46.6 FTE2006: 47.3 FTE2007: 48.3 FTE2008: 51.7 FTE2009: 53.6 FTE2010: 56.1 FTE2011: 57.2 FTE2012: 58.1 FTE2013: 59.2 FTE2014: 61.4 FTE2015: 64.3 FTE2016: 65.5 FTE2017: 67.8 FTE2018: 69.1 FTE2019: 69.2 FTE2020: 69.5 FTE2021: 68.6 FTE2022: 69 FTE2023: 70 FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries is 70.05 FTE, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 18.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 70.05 FTE in 2023 and was at its lowest, 41.15 FTE, in 1997.

SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 50th of 50 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1996 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1996 41.24 FTE
1997 41.15 FTE -0.2%
1998 41.18 FTE +0.1%
1999 41.49 FTE +0.8%
2000 41.25 FTE -0.6%
2001 42.43 FTE +2.9%
2002 43.77 FTE +3.2%
2003 44.37 FTE +1.4%
2004 44.94 FTE +1.3%
2005 46.64 FTE +3.8%
2006 47.25 FTE +1.3%
2007 48.31 FTE +2.2%
2008 51.67 FTE +7.0%
2009 53.65 FTE +3.8%
2010 56.06 FTE +4.5%
2011 57.19 FTE +2.0%
2012 58.09 FTE +1.6%
2013 59.21 FTE +1.9%
2014 61.43 FTE +3.8%
2015 64.27 FTE +4.6%
2016 65.54 FTE +2.0%
2017 67.83 FTE +3.5%
2018 69.06 FTE +1.8%
2019 69.17 FTE +0.2%
2020 69.45 FTE +0.4%
2021 68.55 FTE -1.3%
2022 68.96 FTE +0.6%
2023 70.05 FTE +1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 41.27 FTE 41.15 FTE 41.49 FTE 4
2000s 46.43 FTE 41.25 FTE 53.65 FTE 10
2010s 62.78 FTE 56.06 FTE 69.17 FTE 10
2020s 69.25 FTE 68.55 FTE 70.05 FTE 4

Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries

  1. 47 Cyprus 1,686 FTE compare
  2. 48 Tunisia 1,668 FTE compare
  3. 49 Azerbaijan 1,663 FTE compare
  4. 50 Thailand 1,592 FTE compare
  5. 51 Belarus 1,568 FTE
  6. 52 Argentina 1,313 FTE compare
  7. 53 Saudi Arabia 1,235 FTE

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for SDG: Least Developed Countries

All data for SDG: Least Developed Countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
Researchers per million inhabitants in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 70.05 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
The highest recorded value was 70.05 FTE in 2023.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
The lowest recorded value was 41.15 FTE in 1997.
How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 50th out of 50 groups with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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 SDG: Least Developed Countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/sdg-least-developed-countries/

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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