Researchers per million people
Professionals engaged in creating new knowledge, products, processes or methods, in full-time equivalents, per million people.
Highest in 2023
18,130 per million people
Liechtenstein
Lowest in 2023
1 per million people
Guatemala
Euro area, 2023
4,867 per million people
Official aggregate published by the source
Countries ranked for 2023
76
Updated by the source on 8 October 2026
76 countries have a value for 2023, the latest period with data for most countries. Some countries have newer figures; see the ranking below for each country's latest year.
Trend over time
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
Researchers per million people. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | World | United States | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | – | – | 2,107 per million people | – |
| 2022 | – | 4,937 per million people | 1,849 per million people | – |
| 2021 | – | 4,901 per million people | 1,686 per million people | – |
| 2020 | 1,652 per million people | 4,568 per million people | 1,600 per million people | 259 per million people |
| 2019 | – | 4,367 per million people | 1,484 per million people | – |
| 2018 | 1,524 per million people | 4,323 per million people | 1,317 per million people | 250 per million people |
| 2017 | – | 4,021 per million people | 1,236 per million people | – |
| 2016 | – | 3,897 per million people | 1,209 per million people | – |
| 2015 | 1,381 per million people | 3,950 per million people | 1,163 per million people | 214 per million people |
| 2014 | – | 3,915 per million people | 1,102 per million people | – |
| 2013 | – | 3,815 per million people | 1,080 per million people | – |
| 2012 | – | 3,735 per million people | 1,029 per million people | – |
| 2011 | – | 3,755 per million people | 972 per million people | – |
| 2010 | 1,267 per million people | 3,644 per million people | 899 per million people | 156 per million people |
| 2009 | – | 3,878 per million people | 861 per million people | – |
| 2008 | – | 3,751 per million people | 1,198 per million people | – |
| 2007 | – | 3,624 per million people | 1,077 per million people | – |
| 2006 | – | 3,674 per million people | 931 per million people | – |
| 2005 | 1,195 per million people | 3,635 per million people | 857 per million people | 135 per million people |
| 2004 | – | 3,710 per million people | 713 per million people | – |
| 2003 | – | 3,851 per million people | 668 per million people | – |
| 2002 | – | 3,646 per million people | 632 per million people | – |
| 2001 | – | 3,599 per million people | 583 per million people | – |
| 2000 | 1,081 per million people | 3,556 per million people | 550 per million people | 111 per million people |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- Among the 76 countries with a value for 2023, the highest is Liechtenstein (18,130 per million people) and the lowest Guatemala (1 per million people).
- Half of the countries are above 2,038 per million people and half below.
- From 2022 to 2023 the value rose in 27 countries and fell in 14.
- The figure for the European Union was 4,741 per million people in 2023, against 4,011 per million people in 2018 (+730).
About this measure
Source and dates
All countries in 2023 Every value is for 2023, so the countries are compared at the same point in time.
- 1 Liechtenstein 18,130 per million people
- 2 South Korea 9,472 per million people
- 3 Sweden 8,911 per million people
- 4 Denmark 8,838 per million people
- 5 Finland 8,315 per million people
- 6 Norway 7,451 per million people
- 7 Austria 6,634 per million people
- 8 Netherlands 6,563 per million people
- 9 Switzerland 6,108 per million people
- 10 Belgium 5,990 per million people
- 11 Portugal 5,983 per million people
- 12 Iceland 5,953 per million people
- 13 Germany 5,926 per million people
- 14 Ireland 5,753 per million people
- 15 Slovenia 5,616 per million people
- 16 Japan 5,609 per million people
- 17 New Zealand 5,435 per million people
- 18 France 5,369 per million people
- 19 Luxembourg 5,359 per million people
- 20 Greece 5,283 per million people
- 21 Hong Kong SAR, China 5,274 per million people
- 22 Estonia 4,800 per million people
- 23 Hungary 4,567 per million people
- 24 Czechia 4,505 per million people
- 25 Macao SAR, China 3,827 per million people
- 26 Lithuania 3,704 per million people
- 27 Poland 3,675 per million people
- 28 Spain 3,654 per million people
- 29 Slovakia 3,507 per million people
- 30 Italy 2,855 per million people
- 31 Russia 2,653 per million people
- 32 Türkiye 2,645 per million people
- 33 Serbia 2,515 per million people
- 34 Croatia 2,440 per million people
- 35 Bulgaria 2,401 per million people
- 36 Malta 2,355 per million people
- 37 Latvia 2,191 per million people
- 38 China 2,107 per million people
- 39 Cuba 1,968 per million people
- 40 Algeria 1,782 per million people
- 41 Georgia 1,768 per million people
- 42 Cyprus 1,686 per million people
- 43 Azerbaijan 1,663 per million people
- 44 Thailand 1,592 per million people
- 45 Belarus 1,504 per million people
- 46 Argentina 1,313 per million people
- 47 Saudi Arabia 1,121 per million people
- 48 Romania 1,082 per million people
- 49 Armenia 1,040 per million people
- 50 North Macedonia 922 per million people
- 51 Uruguay 902 per million people
- 52 Mauritius 853 per million people
- 53 Egypt 845 per million people
- 54 Viet Nam 836 per million people
- 55 Moldova 717 per million people
- 56 Kazakhstan 693 per million people
- 57 Bosnia and Herzegovina 670 per million people
- 58 Oman 655 per million people
- 59 Uzbekistan 542 per million people
- 60 Costa Rica 508 per million people
- 61 Pakistan 474 per million people
- 62 Mexico 419 per million people
- 63 Panama 253 per million people
- 64 Bhutan 237 per million people
- 65 Kenya 201 per million people
- 66 Venezuela 180 per million people
- 67 Kuwait 159 per million people
- 68 Paraguay 139 per million people
- 69 Rwanda 133 per million people
- 70 Uganda 81 per million people
- 71 El Salvador 55 per million people
- 72 Togo 41 per million people
- 73 Lesotho 32 per million people
- 74 Myanmar 28 per million people
- 75 Mali 26 per million people
- 76 Guatemala 1 per million people
- East Asia and Pacific 2,426 per million people
- Euro area 4,867 per million people
- Europe and Central Asia 3,715 per million people
- European Union 4,741 per million people
Below the line: groups and aggregates, not ranked.
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Grey: no value for 2023. Colour groups split countries into roughly equal numbers. Boundaries: Natural Earth.