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

Japan
626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Korea
459,405 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Japan rank
1st
Korea rank
2nd

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

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

How they compare

Japan currently reports 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 459,405 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Korea, a difference of 167,304 Persons (full-time equivalent).

That makes Japan's figure about 1.4 times Korea's.

Across all 19 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 1st and Korea ranks 2nd of 28 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Korea Difference Ahead
2000s 618,245 Persons (full-time equivalent) 186,085 Persons (full-time equivalent) 432,160 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2010s 600,368 Persons (full-time equivalent) 316,554 Persons (full-time equivalent) 283,815 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2020s 633,540 Persons (full-time equivalent) 444,870 Persons (full-time equivalent) 188,670 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, Japan or Korea?
Japan, at 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 459,405 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Korea as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity between Japan and Korea?
167,304 Persons (full-time equivalent), with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Korea?
19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
How do Japan and Korea rank globally for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
Japan ranks 1st and Korea ranks 2nd 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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Japan vs Korea: 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/japan/korea/

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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/japan/korea/">Japan vs Korea: 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.