Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) in Spain

Spain: Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) was 43.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
43.7%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
44th
of 74 countries
All-time high
43.7%
in 2023
All-time low
35.7%
in 1999
Years of data
26
1997–2023

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) in Spain, 1997–2023

0102030401997201020231997: 371999: 35.72000: 392001: 39.32002: 38.42003: 39.22004: 39.82005: 40.52006: 40.62007: 40.72008: 41.12009: 41.22010: 412011: 41.52012: 41.62013: 41.62014: 41.92015: 42.52016: 42.92017: 41.62018: 41.72019: 42.72020: 43.12021: 43.12022: 43.52023: 43.7

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Spain recorded 43.7% for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) in Spain peaked at 43.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 35.7%, in 1999.

That places Spain 44th out of 74 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) in Spain, year by year

Annual values for Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Higher education in Spain, 1997 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1997 37.0%
1999 35.7% -3.5%
2000 39.0% +9.1%
2001 39.3% +0.9%
2002 38.4% -2.5%
2003 39.2% +2.3%
2004 39.8% +1.6%
2005 40.5% +1.6%
2006 40.6% +0.3%
2007 40.7% +0.2%
2008 41.1% +1.0%
2009 41.2% +0.2%
2010 41.0% -0.3%
2011 41.5% +1.1%
2012 41.6% +0.2%
2013 41.6% +0.0%
2014 41.9% +0.8%
2015 42.5% +1.5%
2016 42.9% +0.9%
2017 41.6% -3.0%
2018 41.7% +0.2%
2019 42.7% +2.5%
2020 43.1% +0.7%
2021 43.1% +0.1%
2022 43.5% +1.0%
2023 43.7% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.4% 35.7% 37.0% 2
2000s 40.0% 38.4% 41.2% 10
2010s 41.9% 41.0% 42.9% 10
2020s 43.4% 43.1% 43.7% 4

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 41 Italy 44.9% compare
  2. 42 Indonesia 43.9% compare
  3. 43 Greece 43.8% compare
  4. 45 El Salvador 42.8% compare
  5. 46 Iraq 42.8% compare
  6. 47 Malta 41.7% compare

See the full ranking of 74 places →

More science & technology data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) in Spain?
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) in Spain was 43.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 43.7% in 2023.
What is the lowest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 35.7% in 1999.
How does Spain rank for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte)?
Spain ranks 44th out of 74 countries with data for 2023.
Is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (fte) rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Higher education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/female-researchers-as-a-percentage-of-total-researchers-fte-higher-education/spain/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/female-researchers-as-a-percentage-of-total-researchers-fte-higher-education/spain/">Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) in Spain</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (FTE) - Higher education
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
74 places, 1,075 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release