Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Business enterprise by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
59
Highest
64.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Lowest
2.1%
Mali
Median
29.2%
Years covered
29
1996–2024
Data points
881
What the numbers show
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Business enterprise is currently reported for 59 countries. The highest value is 64.4% in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the lowest is 2.1% in Mali.
The median across all reporting countries is 29.2%, and the mean is 30.4%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 30.
Over the past decade 32 countries rose and 20 fell. The largest increase was in Iraq (up 238.3%), and the largest decrease in Mali (down 71.8%).
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 64.4% | 2024 | up 23.9% | rising |
| 2 | North Macedonia | 61.7% | 2024 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 52.1% | 2024 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 4 | Uruguay | 48.3% | 2024 | up 0.0% | rising |
| 5 | Thailand | 47.8% | 2021 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 6 | Iceland | 46.1% | 2023 | up 78.3% | rising |
| 7 | Panama | 44.9% | 2024 | up 29.1% | rising |
| 8 | South Africa | 41.4% | 2022 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 9 | Iraq | 39.8% | 2021 | up 238.3% | rising |
| 10 | Oman | 39.7% | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 11 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 39.2% | 2023 | — | falling |
| 12 | Argentina | 38.3% | 2023 | up 112.0% | rising |
| 13 | Indonesia | 37.1% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 14 | Bulgaria | 36.3% | 2023 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 15 | Malaysia | 36.0% | 2016 | up 21.4% | rising |
| 16 | Colombia | 34.6% | 2017 | — | falling |
| 17 | Latvia | 34.5% | 2023 | down 24.7% | falling |
| 18 | Belarus | 34.1% | 2024 | — | flat |
| 19 | Philippines | 33.9% | 2020 | down 21.2% | falling |
| 20 | Montenegro | 33.9% | 2019 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 21 | Serbia | 33.8% | 2024 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 22 | Ukraine | 33.0% | 2024 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 23 | Croatia | 32.9% | 2023 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 24 | Cyprus | 32.2% | 2023 | down 9.5% | rising |
| 25 | Romania | 31.2% | 2023 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 26 | Spain | 31.2% | 2023 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 27 | Greece | 31.1% | 2023 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 28 | Tunisia | 30.0% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 29 | Portugal | 29.9% | 2023 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 30 | Uzbekistan | 29.2% | 2024 | down 28.0% | falling |
| 31 | Sri Lanka | 29.1% | 2022 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 32 | Mauritius | 28.8% | 2024 | down 6.2% | falling |
| 33 | Denmark | 28.6% | 2023 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 34 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 28.5% | 2021 | up 22.5% | rising |
| 35 | Lithuania | 28.4% | 2023 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 36 | Türkiye | 28.2% | 2023 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 37 | Chile | 27.9% | 2022 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 38 | Saudi Arabia | 26.9% | 2024 | — | falling |
| 39 | Sweden | 26.3% | 2023 | up 16.7% | flat |
| 40 | Estonia | 25.8% | 2023 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 41 | Malta | 25.5% | 2023 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 42 | Italy | 25.4% | 2023 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 43 | Macau, China | 25.3% | 2024 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 44 | Ireland | 25.3% | 2021 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 45 | Slovenia | 24.2% | 2023 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 46 | Poland | 24.1% | 2023 | up 15.5% | falling |
| 47 | Belgium | 21.8% | 2011 | up 29.4% | rising |
| 48 | France | 21.7% | 2017 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 49 | Hungary | 18.5% | 2023 | up 2.0% | falling |
| 50 | Luxembourg | 18.0% | 2023 | up 63.3% | rising |
| 51 | Austria | 17.7% | 2023 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 52 | Slovakia | 17.6% | 2023 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 53 | Republic of Moldova | 17.5% | 2024 | down 30.0% | falling |
| 54 | India | 17.3% | 2020 | up 58.1% | rising |
| 55 | Egypt | 16.5% | 2024 | up 39.2% | rising |
| 56 | Germany | 16.0% | 2023 | up 16.9% | rising |
| 57 | Czechia | 14.9% | 2023 | up 9.6% | falling |
| 58 | Japan | 5.5% | 2000 | — | flat |
| 59 | Mali | 2.1% | 2023 | down 71.8% | volatile |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release