Germany vs Japan: R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size

Germany
553,600 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Japan
626,709 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2023
Germany rank
4th
Japan rank
3rd

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

  • Germany
  • Japan
0200.0k400.0k600.0k198020022024

How they compare

Japan currently reports 626,709 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 553,600 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Germany, a difference of 73,109 Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times Germany's.

Across all 37 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Germany ranks 4th and Japan ranks 3rd of 52 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany Japan Difference Ahead
1980s 271,783 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 447,171 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 175,387 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Japan
1990s 295,452 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 587,191 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 291,739 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Japan
2000s 312,287 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 595,850 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 283,563 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Japan
2010s 397,500 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 600,368 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 202,869 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Japan
2020s 498,570 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 633,540 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 134,970 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Japan

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, Germany or Japan?
Japan, at 626,709 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 553,600 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Germany as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size between Germany and Japan?
73,109 Full-time equivalent (FTE), with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
37 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2023.
How do Germany and Japan rank globally for r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size?
Germany ranks 4th and Japan ranks 3rd 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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Germany vs Japan: 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/germany/japan/

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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