Policy Smart Stories
Policy analysis stories using R&D spending data, researcher workforce comparisons, and government statistics.
Researchers in R&D per Million People: Why South Korea Has 2x America's Research Workforce
Policy • Research • STEM • Competitiveness • Education
South Korea: 9,435 researchers per million. United States: 4,825. South Korea has 2x our researcher density. In 1996, America led. Today, we rank outside the top 15 globally. The Asian research boom rewrote the global innovation map while America rested on legacy. The gap widens every year we delay.
South Korea has 2x America's researcher density. They grew 332% while we grew 54%. The blueprint exists in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. The question is whether we'll follow it before the gap becomes permanent.