Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Higher education by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
74
Highest
79.7%
Myanmar
Lowest
5.7%
Iceland
Median
46.5%
Years covered
29
1996–2024
Data points
1,075
What the numbers show
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Higher education is currently reported for 74 countries. The highest value is 79.7% in Myanmar; the lowest is 5.7% in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 46.5%, and the mean is 45.0%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 14.
Over the past decade 54 countries rose and 15 fell. The largest increase was in Mali (up 477.0%), and the largest decrease in Iceland (down 87.7%).
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myanmar | 79.7% | 2023 | down 4.0% | flat |
| 2 | Tunisia | 59.6% | 2024 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 59.3% | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 4 | North Macedonia | 56.9% | 2024 | up 21.5% | rising |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 56.0% | 2023 | up 16.9% | rising |
| 6 | Philippines | 55.8% | 2020 | down 4.8% | flat |
| 7 | Argentina | 55.8% | 2023 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 8 | Egypt | 55.3% | 2024 | up 21.4% | rising |
| 9 | Malaysia | 54.5% | 2016 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 10 | Thailand | 54.5% | 2021 | down 3.5% | flat |
| 11 | Georgia | 54.5% | 2024 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 12 | Serbia | 54.4% | 2024 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 13 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 54.0% | 2023 | — | falling |
| 14 | Republic of Moldova | 53.9% | 2024 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 15 | Kuwait | 53.6% | 2018 | — | rising |
| 16 | Montenegro | 53.0% | 2019 | up 8.7% | flat |
| 17 | Romania | 52.9% | 2023 | up 13.2% | rising |
| 18 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 52.9% | 2024 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 19 | Mauritius | 52.7% | 2024 | up 15.4% | rising |
| 20 | Croatia | 52.0% | 2023 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 21 | Portugal | 51.4% | 2023 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 22 | Guatemala | 51.4% | 2019 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 23 | Trinidad and Tobago | 50.9% | 2022 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 24 | Lithuania | 50.9% | 2023 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 25 | Estonia | 50.7% | 2023 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 26 | Latvia | 50.2% | 2023 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 27 | Uruguay | 50.1% | 2024 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 28 | Sri Lanka | 50.1% | 2022 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 29 | Paraguay | 49.9% | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 30 | Ireland | 48.4% | 2021 | up 18.6% | rising |
| 31 | Pakistan | 48.4% | 2023 | up 22.4% | rising |
| 32 | Panama | 47.9% | 2024 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 33 | South Africa | 47.8% | 2022 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 34 | Denmark | 47.6% | 2023 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 35 | Slovakia | 47.0% | 2023 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 36 | Poland | 46.9% | 2023 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 37 | Slovenia | 46.5% | 2023 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 38 | Sweden | 46.5% | 2023 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 39 | Türkiye | 46.5% | 2023 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 40 | Belgium | 45.9% | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 41 | Italy | 44.9% | 2023 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 42 | Indonesia | 43.9% | 2020 | up 20.8% | rising |
| 43 | Greece | 43.8% | 2023 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 44 | Spain | 43.7% | 2023 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 45 | El Salvador | 42.8% | 2023 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 46 | Iraq | 42.8% | 2021 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 47 | Malta | 41.7% | 2023 | up 22.9% | rising |
| 48 | Ecuador | 41.4% | 2014 | down 4.7% | flat |
| 49 | Ukraine | 41.3% | 2024 | down 2.9% | flat |
| 50 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 41.0% | 2021 | up 35.8% | rising |
| 51 | Saudi Arabia | 41.0% | 2024 | — | falling |
| 52 | Austria | 40.9% | 2023 | up 17.6% | rising |
| 53 | Cyprus | 40.7% | 2023 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 54 | Oman | 40.7% | 2024 | up 53.8% | rising |
| 55 | France | 39.7% | 2017 | up 294.0% | rising |
| 56 | Costa Rica | 39.5% | 2023 | down 12.9% | falling |
| 57 | Hungary | 39.3% | 2023 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 58 | Germany | 39.3% | 2023 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 59 | Netherlands | 38.7% | 2012 | up 29.9% | rising |
| 60 | Belarus | 38.7% | 2024 | — | falling |
| 61 | Macau, China | 38.3% | 2024 | up 20.7% | rising |
| 62 | Colombia | 37.6% | 2017 | — | rising |
| 63 | Luxembourg | 37.1% | 2023 | down 2.9% | rising |
| 64 | Morocco | 36.9% | 2016 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 65 | Chile | 35.5% | 2022 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 66 | United Arab Emirates | 33.7% | 2021 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 67 | Czechia | 32.9% | 2023 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 68 | Madagascar | 31.9% | 2018 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 69 | Uzbekistan | 29.6% | 2024 | down 26.5% | falling |
| 70 | Mali | 27.6% | 2023 | up 477.0% | volatile |
| 71 | Israel | 26.0% | 2022 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 72 | Rwanda | 22.8% | 2023 | up 40.3% | falling |
| 73 | Togo | 11.7% | 2024 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 74 | Iceland | 5.7% | 2023 | down 87.7% | rising |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release