Bulgaria vs Ireland: R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size

Bulgaria
14,343 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Ireland
27,502 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Bulgaria rank
32nd
Ireland rank
29th

R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size over time

  • Bulgaria
  • Ireland
010.0k20.0k30.0k198120022024

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 27,502 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 14,343 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Bulgaria, a difference of 13,159 Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That makes Ireland's figure about 1.9 times Bulgaria's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 32 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Bulgaria ahead.

Bulgaria ranks 32nd and Ireland ranks 29th of 52 countries.

Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bulgaria Ireland Difference Ahead
1990s 4,405 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 6,462 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 2,057 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Ireland
2000s 2,307 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 10,164 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 7,857 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Ireland
2010s 7,591 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 17,123 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 9,532 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Ireland
2020s 13,810 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 24,067 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 10,257 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size, Bulgaria or Ireland?
Ireland, at 27,502 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 14,343 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Bulgaria as of 2024.
What is the difference in r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size between Bulgaria and Ireland?
13,159 Full-time equivalent (FTE), with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Ireland?
32 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2024.
How do Bulgaria and Ireland rank globally for r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size?
Bulgaria ranks 32nd and Ireland ranks 29th of 52 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Eurostat, published as R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size class and sex. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bulgaria vs Ireland: R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-in-business-enterprise-sector-by-size-class-and-sex/bulgaria/ireland/

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<a href="https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-in-business-enterprise-sector-by-size-class-and-sex/bulgaria/ireland/">Bulgaria vs Ireland: R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size class and sex
Unit
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
56 places, 1,751 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed