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

Germany
543,452 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Japan
626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Germany rank
2nd
Japan rank
1st

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

  • Germany
  • Japan
0200.0k400.0k600.0k200520142023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 543,452 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Germany, a difference of 83,257 Persons (full-time equivalent).

That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times Germany's.

Across all 18 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Germany ranks 2nd 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 Germany Japan Difference Ahead
2000s 320,780 Persons (full-time equivalent) 618,245 Persons (full-time equivalent) 297,465 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2010s 397,500 Persons (full-time equivalent) 600,368 Persons (full-time equivalent) 202,869 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2020s 496,342 Persons (full-time equivalent) 631,057 Persons (full-time equivalent) 134,716 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, Germany or Japan?
Japan, at 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 543,452 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Germany as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity between Germany and Japan?
83,257 Persons (full-time equivalent), with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
18 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
How do Germany and Japan rank globally for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
Germany ranks 2nd 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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Germany 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/germany/japan/

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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.