Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD): Researchers in R&D (per million people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 196.35 on 2022 (from 2,062 to 2,258).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0.71 and a typical year strayed about 31.46 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 196.35 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 74.71 in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 36.35 a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

What this measures

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.

Limitations: Estimates of the resources allocated to R&D are affected by national characteristics such as the periodicity and coverage of national R&D surveys across institutional sectors and industries; and the use of different sampling and estimation methods. R&D typically involves a few large performers, hence R&D surveys use various techniques to maintain up-to-date registers of known performers, while attempting to identify new or occasional performers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Researchers in R&D (per million people) in nearby economies

• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 1,120 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2,240 (2021)
• Iraq — 164.29 (2021)
• Kuwait — 144.75 (2024)
• Malta — 2,355 (2023)
• Oman — 739.41 (2024)
• Pakistan — 473.72 (2023)
• Tunisia — 1,668 (2024)

More infrastructure data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 664 million (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 142.4 (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 53 million (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 11.3 (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 14.12% (2025)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 269.09 million (2023)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 2.02 million (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 11,804 (2023)

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Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s researchers in R&D (per million people)?

2,258 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 10.35% from 2,046 in 2000 (0.43% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2,258 in 2023 and the lowest 1,785 in 2009.

Is the latest change in researchers in R&D (per million people) unusual for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 196.35 on 2022 (from 2,062 to 2,258). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0.71 and a typical year strayed about 31.46 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources/bulk, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-03-26, date published: 2025-02 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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