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

Japan
626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
United Kingdom
231,234 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2017
Japan rank
1st
United Kingdom rank
3rd

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

  • Japan
  • United Kingdom
100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k600.0k200520142023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 231,234 Persons (full-time equivalent) in United Kingdom, a difference of 395,475 Persons (full-time equivalent).

That makes Japan's figure about 2.7 times United Kingdom's.

Across all 13 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 1st and United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 28 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan United Kingdom Difference Ahead
2000s 618,245 Persons (full-time equivalent) 151,173 Persons (full-time equivalent) 467,072 Persons (full-time equivalent) Japan
2010s 596,890 Persons (full-time equivalent) 186,314 Persons (full-time equivalent) 410,576 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 United Kingdom?
Japan, at 626,709 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 231,234 Persons (full-time equivalent) in United Kingdom as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity between Japan and United Kingdom?
395,475 Persons (full-time equivalent), with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United Kingdom?
13 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2017.
How do Japan and United Kingdom rank globally for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
Japan ranks 1st and United Kingdom ranks 3rd 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 United Kingdom: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 18 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/united-kingdom-2/

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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.