Netherlands vs Spain: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity

Netherlands
140,132 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Spain
134,793 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
Netherlands rank
5th
Spain rank
8th

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

  • Netherlands
  • Spain
40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k120.0k140.0k200520142023

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 140,132 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 134,793 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Spain, a difference of 5,339 Persons (full-time equivalent).

The two have swapped places 1 time across 16 shared years of data; in 2008 it was Spain ahead.

Netherlands ranks 5th and Spain ranks 8th of 12 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands Spain Difference Ahead
2000s 45,178 Persons (full-time equivalent) 94,453 Persons (full-time equivalent) 49,276 Persons (full-time equivalent) Spain
2010s 93,012 Persons (full-time equivalent) 93,184 Persons (full-time equivalent) 172.01 Persons (full-time equivalent) Spain
2020s 129,016 Persons (full-time equivalent) 120,379 Persons (full-time equivalent) 8,637 Persons (full-time equivalent) Netherlands

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, Netherlands or Spain?
Netherlands, at 140,132 Persons (full-time equivalent) against 134,793 Persons (full-time equivalent) in Spain as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity between Netherlands and Spain?
5,339 Persons (full-time equivalent), with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Spain?
16 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
How do Netherlands and Spain rank globally for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
Netherlands ranks 5th and Spain ranks 8th of 12 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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Netherlands vs Spain: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-in-the-business-enterprise-sector-by-main-activity-r-and-d-personnel/netherlands-2/spain/

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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.