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

Key figures

Over five years it is down 17.9% from 34.12 in 2018 (3.87% a year on average, compounded). Since 1997 it is up 269.75% from 7.58 in 1997 (5.16% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 15 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Myanmar's researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 1.61 on 2022 (from 26.4 to 28.01).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2022), the average change was +0.73 and a typical year strayed about 6.74 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 7.28 in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 13.69 in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those 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, Myanmar had the 42nd 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 Myanmar in the 2023 ranking

• Pakistan — 39th of 43: 473.72
• Venezuela, RB — 40th of 43: 179.96
• Paraguay — 41st of 43: 138.79
• Guatemala — 43rd of 43: 1.45

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 12 values

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

• China — 2,107 (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 5,874 (2024)
• Japan — 5,609 (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 9,472 (2023)
• Macao SAR, China — 4,634 (2024)
• Malaysia — 1,218 (2022)
• New Zealand — 5,435 (2023)
• Philippines — 320.28 (2020)
• Singapore — 8,782 (2022)
• Thailand — 1,592 (2023)

More infrastructure data for Myanmar

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 558,671 (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 1.03 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 43,257 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 9.93 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 3.54 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 62.31 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 114.33 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 9.35% (2024)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 233.94 (2023)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 269.75% from 7.58 in 1997 (5.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 34.12 in 2018 and the lowest 7.58 in 1997.

How does Myanmar rank?

42nd highest of 43 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Myanmar's researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 1.61 on 2022 (from 26.4 to 28.01). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2022), the average change was +0.73 and a typical year strayed about 6.74 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.