France vs Japan: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity

France
311,701 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Japan
626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
France rank
3rd
Japan rank
1st

R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity over time

  • France
  • Japan
200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k600.0k200520142023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 311,701 Persons (full-time equivalent) in France, a difference of 315,008 Persons (full-time equivalent).

That makes Japan's figure about 2.0 times France's.

Across all 15 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

France ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st of 28 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Japan Difference Ahead
2000s 212,933 Persons (full-time equivalent) 618,245 Persons (full-time equivalent) 405,312 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2010s 249,015 Persons (full-time equivalent) 595,320 Persons (full-time equivalent) 346,305 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2020s 300,901 Persons (full-time equivalent) 633,540 Persons (full-time equivalent) 332,638 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity, France or Japan?
Japan, at 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 311,701 Persons (full-time equivalent) in France as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity between France and Japan?
315,008 Persons (full-time equivalent), with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Japan?
15 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
How do France and Japan rank globally for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
France ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st of 28 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Japan: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-in-the-business-enterprise-sector-by-main-activity-r-and-d-personnel/france/japan/

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<a href="https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-in-the-business-enterprise-sector-by-main-activity-r-and-d-personnel/france/japan/">France vs Japan: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons (full-time equivalent)
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 587 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

This table presents research and development (R&D) statistics on personnel in the business enterprise sector. Measured in full-time equivalent are the number of total R&D personnel and researchers in the business enterprise sector by industry according to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) revision 4. Data at the industry level are presented from 2000, first year from which some countries converted their data from ISIC rev.3.1 to the current ISIC rev. 4 classification.