Guatemala: Researchers in R&D (per million people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Guatemala's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 2.96 on 2022 (from 4.4 to 1.45).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2022), the average change was −1.5 and a typical year strayed about 6.17 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10 in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 14.07 in 2010. 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 downward, about 2.02 a year. A straight line explains 74% 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.

How it compares

In 2023, Guatemala had the 43rd highest value of the 43 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Guatemala in the 2023 ranking

• Venezuela, RB — 40th of 43: 179.96
• Paraguay — 41st of 43: 138.79
• Myanmar — 42nd of 43: 28.01

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 19 values

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

• Argentina — 1,313 (2023)
• Bolivia — 63.06 (2021)
• Chile — 707.06 (2022)
• Costa Rica — 507.76 (2023)
• Mexico — 438.25 (2024)
• Panama — 250.47 (2024)
• Paraguay — 138.79 (2023)
• Uruguay — 937.57 (2024)
• Venezuela, RB — 179.96 (2023)

More infrastructure data for Guatemala

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 1.98 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 10.77 (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 20.71 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 112.52 (2024)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 0.54 (2023)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 239 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 1,666 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 221,478 (2023)
• Patent applications, residents — 8 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Guatemala's researchers in R&D (per million people)?

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

How has it changed since 2005?

It is down 95.17% from 29.96 in 2005 (15.5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 39.36 in 2009 and the lowest 1.45 in 2023.

How does Guatemala rank?

43rd highest of 43 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in researchers in R&D (per million people) unusual for Guatemala?

In 2023, Guatemala's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 2.96 on 2022 (from 4.4 to 1.45). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2022), the average change was −1.5 and a typical year strayed about 6.17 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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