Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and was 2.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
2.4%
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
17th
of 48 countries
All-time high
2.4%
in 2018
All-time low
1.6%
in 2005
Years of data
12
2005–2018

Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2005–2018

00.511.522.52005201120182005: 1.6 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2007: 1.6 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2009: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2010: 1.7 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2011: 1.8 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2012: 1.9 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2013: 1.9 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2014: 2 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2015: 2.1 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2016: 2.2 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2017: 2.3 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)2018: 2.4 Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC).

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 2.4% for share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in 2018. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 44.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 2.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2005.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 17th out of 48 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2005 to 2018.
Year Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC) Change
2005 1.6%
2007 1.6% +3.8%
2009 1.7% +0.6%
2010 1.7% +3.0%
2011 1.8% +7.0%
2012 1.9% +1.6%
2013 1.9% +4.8%
2014 2.0% +5.1%
2015 2.1% +2.9%
2016 2.2% +2.8%
2017 2.3% +6.0%
2018 2.4% +3.5%

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 2.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.2%, 1.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 2.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.6% 1.6% 1.7% 3
2010s 2.0% 1.7% 2.4% 9

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 14 Slovenia 2.6% compare
  2. 14 Slovenia 2.6% compare
  3. 16 Ireland 2.5% compare
  4. 17 Czechia 2.4% compare
  5. 17 United Kingdom 2.4% compare
  6. 20 France 2.2% compare

See the full ranking of 51 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 2.4% in 2018, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 2018.
What is the lowest share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2005.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 17th out of 48 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of r&d personnel and researchers in total active population and rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-r-and-d-personnel-and-researchers-in-total-active-population-and-employment-by/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of R&D personnel and researchers in total active population and employment by sector of performance and sex
Unit
Percentage of population in the labour force - numerator in head count (HC)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
51 places, 1,043 data points, 1992–2024
Last refreshed