Researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden

Sweden: Researchers per million inhabitants was 8,911 FTE in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
8,911 FTE
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
2nd
of 103 countries
All-time high
8,911 FTE
in 2023
All-time low
4,170 FTE
in 1997
Years of data
24
1997–2023

Researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden, 1997–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1997201020231997: 4.2k FTE1999: 4.5k FTE2001: 5.2k FTE2003: 5.4k FTE2004: 5.4k FTE2005: 6.1k FTE2006: 6.2k FTE2007: 5.0k FTE2008: 5.5k FTE2009: 5.1k FTE2010: 5.3k FTE2011: 5.2k FTE2012: 5.2k FTE2013: 6.7k FTE2014: 6.9k FTE2015: 6.8k FTE2016: 7.1k FTE2017: 7.3k FTE2018: 7.4k FTE2019: 7.7k FTE2020: 7.8k FTE2021: 8.2k FTE2022: 8.6k FTE2023: 8.9k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden is 8,911 FTE, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 32.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden peaked at 8,911 FTE in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4,170 FTE, in 1997.

Sweden ranks 2nd of 103 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in Sweden, 1997 to 2023.
Year FTE Change
1997 4,170 FTE
1999 4,509 FTE +8.1%
2001 5,178 FTE +14.8%
2003 5,389 FTE +4.1%
2004 5,435 FTE +0.8%
2005 6,103 FTE +12.3%
2006 6,159 FTE +0.9%
2007 5,027 FTE -18.4%
2008 5,469 FTE +8.8%
2009 5,111 FTE -6.5%
2010 5,279 FTE +3.3%
2011 5,172 FTE -2.0%
2012 5,197 FTE +0.5%
2013 6,718 FTE +29.3%
2014 6,909 FTE +2.9%
2015 6,846 FTE -0.9%
2016 7,143 FTE +4.3%
2017 7,317 FTE +2.4%
2018 7,426 FTE +1.5%
2019 7,686 FTE +3.5%
2020 7,755 FTE +0.9%
2021 8,160 FTE +5.2%
2022 8,639 FTE +5.9%
2023 8,911 FTE +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4,339 FTE 4,170 FTE 4,509 FTE 2
2000s 5,484 FTE 5,027 FTE 6,159 FTE 8
2010s 6,569 FTE 5,172 FTE 7,686 FTE 10
2020s 8,366 FTE 7,755 FTE 8,911 FTE 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 1 Republic of Korea 9,472 FTE compare
  2. 3 Denmark 8,838 FTE compare
  3. 4 Singapore 8,782 FTE compare
  4. 5 Finland 8,315 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden?
Researchers per million inhabitants in Sweden was 8,911 FTE in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 8,911 FTE in 2023.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 4,170 FTE in 1997.
How does Sweden rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
Sweden ranks 2nd out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden 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 Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/sweden/

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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