EU reached 2 million researchers in 2021

The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers in the EU has been increasing in recent years, jumping from 1.38 million researchers (in FTE) working in the Member States in 2011 to 2 million in 2021 (+626 800). Compared with 2020, an additional 115 000 people joined the EU researcher ranks. 

In the space of 10 years, the number of researchers (FTE) increased in almost all Member States. In the case of Poland and Sweden, the total number more than doubled, totalling 135 700 and 100 100, respectively, in 2021. 

Relatively high growth rates were also recorded in Hungary (88%), Greece and Belgium (both 79%). 
 

Source dataset: rd_p_persocc

In the EU, most researchers worked in the business enterprise sector (56%) and the higher education sector (32%), followed by the government sector (11%).

At EU level, researchers represented 1% of the total labour force. The researchers working in the business enterprise sector represented 0.6% of the total labour force, those in the higher education sector represented 0.3% and the researchers in the government sector accounted for 0.1% of the total labour force. 

In most Member States (14), the business enterprise sector gathered the biggest shares of researchers, especially in Sweden and the Netherlands, where researchers represented 78% and 70% of the total number of researchers.