United States's researchers in R&D (per million people) was 4,937 in 2022, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 32.21% from 3,735 in 2012 (2.83% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 4,937 | 2022 |
| Five years earlier | 4,021 | 2017 |
| Ten years earlier | 3,735 | 2012 |
| Highest | 4,937 | 2022 |
| Lowest | 3,207 | 1996 |
| Average since 2013 | 4,269 | 2013–2022 |
| First recorded | 3,207 | 1996 |
What the numbers say
In 2022, United States' researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 36.72 on 2021 (from 4,901 to 4,937).
Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2021), the average change was +67.76 and a typical year strayed about 126.41 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 332.98 in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 233.96 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 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 132.14 a year. A straight line explains 91% 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
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,937 | 2022 |
| North America | 5,009 | 2022 |
| High income | 4,607 | 2022 |
Closest to United States in the 2022 ranking
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 27 values
| Year | Researchers in R&D (per million people) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,937 |
| 2021 | 4,901 |
| 2020 | 4,568 |
| 2019 | 4,367 |
| 2018 | 4,323 |
| 2017 | 4,021 |
| 2016 | 3,897 |
| 2015 | 3,950 |
| 2014 | 3,915 |
| 2013 | 3,815 |
| 2012 |
Researchers in R&D (per million people) in nearby economies
- Canada — 5,624 (2022)
More infrastructure data for United States
- Fixed telephone subscriptions — 81.55 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 23.61 (2024)
- ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$101.73 billion (2025)
- ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 8.22% (2025)
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 9.27 million (2023)
- Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 42,763 (2023)
- Air transport, passengers carried — 941.56 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions — 390.99 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 113.19 (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United States's researchers in R&D (per million people)?
- 4,937 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1996?
- It is up 53.98% from 3,207 in 1996 (1.67% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4,937 in 2022 and the lowest 3,207 in 1996.
- Is the latest change in researchers in R&D (per million people) unusual for United States?
- In 2022, United States' researchers in R&D (per million people) rose 36.72 on 2021 (from 4,901 to 4,937). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2021), the average change was +67.76 and a typical year strayed about 126.41 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.
- Where does this data come from?
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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