7.7 million female scientists and engineers in the EU

In 2023, there were 7.7 million female scientists and engineers in the EU, 381 200 more than in 2022.

Across all economic activities present in the statistical classification of economic activities in the EU (NACE rev. 2), women represented 41.0% of the scientists and engineers workforce. This share was higher in services related activities at 45.6%. In manufacturing, women represented 22.4% of scientists and engineers, while in other activities that share was 23.9%. 

Source dataset: hrst_st_nsecsex2

Among the EU countries, the proportion of female scientists and engineers varied widely in 2023, with the highest shares registered in Denmark (50.8%), Spain (50.0 %,) and Bulgaria (49.1%), Latvia and Ireland (each 49%). The lowest representation of female scientists and engineers was in Hungary (30.7%), followed by Finland (31.4%), Italy (34.1%), and Slovakia and Malta (each 34.3%).

At level 1 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 1), female scientists and engineers were in the majority in 12 EU regions:

• 4 regions of Spain: Canarias (59.2%), Noroeste (54.2%), Centro (53.5%) and Noreste (52.2%);
• 2 regions of Portugal: Região Autónoma dos Açores (57.5%) and Madeira (55.8%);
• Makroregion Wschodni (56.5%) and Makroregion Centralny (52.6%) in Poland, Severna i yugoiztochna in Bulgaria (54.4%), Norra Sverige in Sweden (51.5%), as well as Denmark (50.8%), and Corse in France (50.5%). 

Source dataset: hrst_st_rsex

At the other end of the scale, the smallest proportion of female scientists and engineers was recorded in the Hungarian regions of Közép-Magyarország (30.1%) and Dunántúl (31.1%), followed by the German region of Baden-Württemberg (30.8%), the Finnish region of Manner-Suomi (31.4%), and Sud in Italy (30.6%). 

This news item marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February.

For more information

• Statistics Explained article on human resources in science and technology
• Thematic section on science, technology and innovation
• Database on science and technology 
• Webinar on women in science and technology 

Methodological notes

• Regional data for Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia: single regions at this level of detail.   
• Denmark and Slovenia: break in time series. 
• Services refers to all activities of sections G to U of NACE 2.0 classification, manufacturing to section C, all other activities refer to the rest of the sections.
• English translations of the names of NUTS 1 regions.

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