Researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Researchers per million inhabitants was 4,473 FTE in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
4,473 FTE
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
29th
of 103 countries
All-time high
4,473 FTE
in 2017
All-time low
2,486 FTE
in 1996
Years of data
22
1996–2017

Researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom, 1996–2017

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1996200620171996: 2.5k FTE1997: 2.5k FTE1998: 2.7k FTE1999: 2.9k FTE2000: 2.9k FTE2001: 3.1k FTE2002: 3.3k FTE2003: 3.6k FTE2004: 3.8k FTE2005: 4.1k FTE2006: 4.2k FTE2007: 4.1k FTE2008: 4.1k FTE2009: 4.1k FTE2010: 4.1k FTE2011: 4.0k FTE2012: 4.0k FTE2013: 4.2k FTE2014: 4.3k FTE2015: 4.4k FTE2016: 4.4k FTE2017: 4.5k FTE

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in FTE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom is 4,473 FTE, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom peaked at 4,473 FTE in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2,486 FTE, in 1996.

United Kingdom ranks 29th of 103 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE) in United Kingdom, 1996 to 2017.
Year FTE Change
1996 2,486 FTE
1997 2,495 FTE +0.4%
1998 2,694 FTE +8.0%
1999 2,853 FTE +5.9%
2000 2,893 FTE +1.4%
2001 3,078 FTE +6.4%
2002 3,336 FTE +8.4%
2003 3,631 FTE +8.9%
2004 3,818 FTE +5.1%
2005 4,118 FTE +7.8%
2006 4,176 FTE +1.4%
2007 4,123 FTE -1.3%
2008 4,077 FTE -1.1%
2009 4,113 FTE +0.9%
2010 4,089 FTE -0.6%
2011 3,973 FTE -2.8%
2012 4,018 FTE +1.1%
2013 4,172 FTE +3.8%
2014 4,281 FTE +2.6%
2015 4,390 FTE +2.5%
2016 4,435 FTE +1.0%
2017 4,473 FTE +0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,632 FTE 2,486 FTE 2,853 FTE 4
2000s 3,736 FTE 2,893 FTE 4,176 FTE 10
2010s 4,229 FTE 3,973 FTE 4,473 FTE 8

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 26 Australia 4,569 FTE compare
  2. 27 Hungary 4,567 FTE compare
  3. 28 Czechia 4,505 FTE compare
  4. 30 Lithuania 3,704 FTE compare
  5. 31 Poland 3,675 FTE compare
  6. 32 Spain 3,654 FTE compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More science & technology data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom?
Researchers per million inhabitants in United Kingdom was 4,473 FTE in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 4,473 FTE in 2017.
What is the lowest researchers per million inhabitants recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 2,486 FTE in 1996.
How does United Kingdom rank for researchers per million inhabitants?
United Kingdom ranks 29th out of 103 countries with data for 2017.
Is researchers per million inhabitants rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-per-million-inhabitants-fte/united-kingdom/

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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