Recent analysis has shown that more than 213,000 women are working in research and development (R&D) in the UK – more than anywhere else in the world.
UK employers have hired 67,645 more female researchers in the last decade, yet the UK ratio of women working in R&D compared to men is almost unchanged at 39% in the past 10 years.
The analysis of OECD data by Catax (a Ryan company) shows the UK has 213,856 women working in R&D out of a total workforce of 548,498.
While the UK has the highest number of women working in R&D, in terms of the ratio of women to men, it is down in 12th place.
Argentina has the highest proportion of female researchers at 53%, followed by Latvia with a nearly 50-50 split. Argentina and Latvia are the only countries where the number of women in the R&D workforce is greater than men.
Jodie O’Sullivan, R&D Claims Team Manager at innovation funding specialist Catax, is a Biochemistry graduate who made the transition into a professional services role after finishing her bachelor’s degree.
She commented: “The UK should be proud that it is home to so many female researchers, but there is still a way to go to improve the gender balance. There are still six men for every four women researchers in the UK, a figure nearly unchanged in the last decade.
“Government ambitions to make the UK into a science superpower, with huge levels of investment, means this is an incredibly exciting time to be working in R&D. However, the industry must do more to show it is a profession that is accessible to all, and offering great career opportunities.”
Table 1: Countries with the most female researchers
| Rank | Country | Female researchers 2019 | Female researchers 2009 | % change over past decade |
| 1 | United Kingdom | 213,856 | 146,211 | 46.3% |
| 2 | Germany | 187,231 | 121,631 | 53.9% |
| 3 | Japan | 158,927 | 121,141 | 31.2% |
| 4 | Russia | 136,074 | 154,725 | -12.1% |
| 5 | Korea | 113,187 | 51,073 | 121.6% |
| 6 | Spain | 99,772 | 84,352 | 18.3% |
| 7 | Turkey | 90,168 | 41,528 | 117.1% |
| 8 | Italy | 75,878 | 50,525 | 50.2% |
| 9 | Poland | 73,175 | 38,794 | 88.6% |
| 10 | Argentina | 48,139 | 33,967 | 41.7% |
Table 2: Highest proportion of female researchers
| Rank | Country | Proportion of female researchers 2019 | Proportion of female researchers 2009 | % change |
| 1 | Argentina | 53.1% | 52.1% | 2% |
| 2 | Latvia | 50.6% | 52.4% | -3% |
| 3 | Lithuania | 49.1% | 51% | -4% |
| 4 | Romania | 46.9% | 44.7% | 5% |
| 5 | South Africa | 46.2% | 40.8% | 13% |
| 6 | Portugal | 42.8% | 44.3% | -3% |
| 7 | Estonia | 42.5% | 42.5% | 0% |
| 8 | Spain | 41.3% | 38.1% | 8% |
| 9 | Slovakia | 41% | 42.5% | -3% |
| 10 | Russia | 39.1% | 41.9% | -7% |
| 11 | Greece | 39% | * | * |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 39% | 37.9% | 3% |
* Data not available
