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

Switzerland: R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity was 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent)
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
13th
of 28 countries
All-time high
58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2023
All-time low
39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent)
in 2008
Years of data
7
2008–2023

R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland, 2008–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k2008201520232008: 39.8k Persons (full-time equivalent)2012: 47.8k Persons (full-time equivalent)2015: 50.8k Persons (full-time equivalent)2017: 46.5k Persons (full-time equivalent)2019: 52.0k Persons (full-time equivalent)2021: 54.1k Persons (full-time equivalent)2023: 58.9k Persons (full-time equivalent)

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons (full-time equivalent).

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in 2023. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is up 8.8% on the previous year and up 23.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland peaked at 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent), in 2008.

That places Switzerland 13th out of 28 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity — R&D Personnel (total economy) in Switzerland, 2008 to 2023.
Year Persons (full-time equivalent) Change
2008 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent)
2012 47,750 Persons (full-time equivalent) +19.9%
2015 50,825 Persons (full-time equivalent) +6.4%
2017 46,510 Persons (full-time equivalent) -8.5%
2019 51,999 Persons (full-time equivalent) +11.8%
2021 54,111 Persons (full-time equivalent) +4.1%
2023 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) +8.8%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) is above the median for high income countries, which is 47,094 Persons (full-time equivalent), 1.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 42,296 Persons (full-time equivalent), 1.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent) 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent) 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent) 1
2010s 49,271 Persons (full-time equivalent) 46,510 Persons (full-time equivalent) 51,999 Persons (full-time equivalent) 4
2020s 56,505 Persons (full-time equivalent) 54,111 Persons (full-time equivalent) 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) 2

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 10 Austria 65,713 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  2. 10 Lithuania 5,518 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  3. 11 Estonia 4,524 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  4. 11 Sweden 64,641 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  5. 12 Belgium 60,721 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  6. 12 Latvia 1,857 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  7. 14 Czechia 51,174 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  8. 15 Denmark 43,014 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare
  9. 16 Portugal 41,579 Persons (full-time equivalent) compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More economy & growth data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland?
R&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland was 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 58,899 Persons (full-time equivalent) in 2023.
What is the lowest r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 39,832 Persons (full-time equivalent) in 2008.
How does Switzerland rank for r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity?
Switzerland ranks 13th out of 28 countries with data for 2023.
Is r&d personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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R&D personnel in the business enterprise sector by main activity in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/r-and-d-personnel-in-the-business-enterprise-sector-by-main-activity-r-and-d-personnel/switzerland/

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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.