Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher in Japan

Japan: Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher was 29.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
29.2%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
89th
of 95 countries
All-time high
29.2%
in 2023
All-time low
17.1%
in 1996
Years of data
28
1996–2023

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher in Japan, 1996–2023

01020301996200920231996: 17.11997: 17.81998: 18.41999: 19.22000: 19.72001: 19.42002: 19.92003: 20.42004: 21.12005: 21.52006: 22.12007: 22.72008: 23.32009: 23.92010: 24.32011: 24.72012: 252013: 25.42014: 25.92015: 26.32016: 26.62017: 27.12018: 27.52019: 27.82020: 28.32021: 28.62022: 28.92023: 29.2

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Japan recorded 29.2% for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 14.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher in Japan peaked at 29.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.1%, in 1996.

That places Japan 89th out of 95 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher education in Japan, 1996 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1996 17.1%
1997 17.8% +3.8%
1998 18.4% +3.7%
1999 19.2% +4.0%
2000 19.7% +2.9%
2001 19.4% -1.5%
2002 19.9% +2.7%
2003 20.4% +2.2%
2004 21.1% +3.4%
2005 21.5% +1.7%
2006 22.1% +3.0%
2007 22.7% +2.8%
2008 23.3% +2.7%
2009 23.9% +2.6%
2010 24.3% +1.7%
2011 24.7% +1.3%
2012 25.0% +1.4%
2013 25.4% +1.5%
2014 25.9% +2.1%
2015 26.3% +1.3%
2016 26.6% +1.3%
2017 27.1% +1.6%
2018 27.5% +1.5%
2019 27.8% +1.4%
2020 28.3% +1.5%
2021 28.6% +1.1%
2022 28.9% +1.1%
2023 29.2% +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 18.1% 17.1% 19.2% 4
2000s 21.4% 19.4% 23.9% 10
2010s 26.1% 24.3% 27.8% 10
2020s 28.7% 28.3% 29.2% 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 86 Madagascar 32.0% compare
  2. 87 Peru 31.9% compare
  3. 88 United Arab Emirates 31.7% compare
  4. 90 Rwanda 23.2% compare
  5. 91 Mali 12.8% compare
  6. 92 Togo 11.7% compare

See the full ranking of 95 places →

More science & technology data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher in Japan?
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher in Japan was 29.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 2023.
What is the lowest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 17.1% in 1996.
How does Japan rank for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher?
Japan ranks 89th out of 95 countries with data for 2023.
Is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) - higher rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 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 (HC) - Higher in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/female-researchers-as-a-percentage-of-total-researchers-hc-higher-education/japan/

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-hc-higher-education/japan/">Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher in Japan</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Higher education
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
95 places, 1,486 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release