Spain vs Sweden: R&D personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size

Spain
139,437 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Sweden
93,662 Full-time equivalent (FTE)
in 2024
Spain rank
16th
Sweden rank
19th

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

  • Spain
  • Sweden
050.0k100.0k150.0k198020022024

How they compare

Spain currently reports 139,437 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 93,662 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Sweden, a difference of 45,775 Full-time equivalent (FTE).

That makes Spain's figure about 1.5 times Sweden's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Sweden ahead.

Spain ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 19th of 52 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 3 and Sweden in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Spain Sweden Difference Ahead
1980s 17,599 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 32,160 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 14,561 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Sweden
1990s 30,567 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 39,755 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 9,188 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Sweden
2000s 77,160 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 53,429 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 23,731 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Spain
2010s 93,184 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 59,703 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 33,481 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Spain
2020s 124,190 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 87,786 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 36,404 Full-time equivalent (FTE) Spain

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, Spain or Sweden?
Spain, at 139,437 Full-time equivalent (FTE) against 93,662 Full-time equivalent (FTE) in Sweden as of 2024.
What is the difference in r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size between Spain and Sweden?
45,775 Full-time equivalent (FTE), with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and Sweden?
33 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.
How do Spain and Sweden rank globally for r&d personnel and researchers in business enterprise sector by size?
Spain ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 19th 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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Spain vs Sweden: 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/spain/sweden/

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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/spain/sweden/">Spain vs Sweden: 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