Countries by Researchers

What Researchers Per Million Measures

Researchers Per Million is a comparative indicator tracked across countries by the World Bank. It provides a quantitative basis for cross-national comparison, enabling researchers and policymakers to benchmark national performance on this dimension against global peers.

Why This Ranking Matters

Examining Researchers Per Million across all countries reveals patterns that might not be obvious at the national level. Regional clusters, outlier nations, and historical trajectories all become clearer when the full global picture is assembled in a single ranking.

Global Range

Values range from 12.445 (Uganda) to 18.1K (Liechtenstein) — a 1.5K-fold difference across 96 countries.

Regional Patterns

European countries dominate this ranking, holding 15 of the top 20 positions. This strong regional concentration suggests shared economic, geographic, or policy factors that drive higher values across the continent.

Values are broadly distributed across countries, with the middle 50% ranging from 473.716 to 4.8K. The overall spread from 12.445 to 18.1K reflects significant global variation.

Notable Outliers

Liechtenstein stands far above the rest, with a value 92% higher than second-place South Korea. This extraordinary lead suggests unique national circumstances — geographic scale, resource endowment, or policy choices — that set it apart from even its closest competitors.

Continental Leaders

Europe

Liechtenstein

18.1K

Asia

South Korea

9.4K

North America

Canada

5.4K

Oceania

New Zealand

5.1K

Africa

Tunisia

1.7K

South America

Argentina

1.3K