Representation of Women in Science and Engineering in the EU (2023)

As of 2023, the European Union (EU) has made notable strides in the representation of women in scientific and engineering fields, with a total of 7.7 million female professionals—a significant increase of 381,200 from the previous year.

Proportion of Female Workforce in Science and Engineering

Women constituted 41.0% of the total scientific and engineering workforce within the EU, as classified under the NACE rev. 2 economic activities. The distribution varied across sectors:

• Services: 45.6% female representation
• Manufacturing: 22.4% female representation
• Other Economic Activities: 23.9% female representation

Geographical Variations Across EU Nations

The percentage of women in scientific and engineering roles differed significantly among EU member states in 2023. The countries with the highest proportions of female professionals included:

• Denmark: 50.8%
• Spain: 50.0%
• Bulgaria: 49.1%
• Latvia and Ireland: 49.0%

Conversely, the nations with the least female representation in these sectors were:

• Hungary: 30.7%
• Finland: 31.4%
• Italy: 34.1%
• Slovakia and Malta: 34.3%

Regional Insights Within the EU

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

• Spain:
  • Canarias (59.2%)
  • Noroeste (54.2%)
  • Centro (53.5%)
  • Noreste (52.2%)
• Portugal:
  • Região Autónoma dos Açores (57.5%)
  • Madeira (55.8%)
• Poland:
  • Makroregion Wschodni (56.5%)
  • Makroregion Centralny (52.6%)
• Bulgaria: Severna i yugoiztochna (54.4%)
• Sweden: Norra Sverige (51.5%)
• France: Corse (50.5%)

Areas with Lower Female Representation

On the other end of the spectrum, regions recording the lowest proportions of female scientists and engineers included:

• Közép-Magyarország (Hungary): 30.1%
• Dunántúl (Hungary): 31.1%
• Baden-Württemberg (Germany): 30.8%
• Manner-Suomi (Finland): 31.4%
• Sud (Italy): 30.6%

Significance of the Findings

This data release coincides with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated annually on February 11, highlighting the ongoing efforts to promote gender equality in the scientific community.

For further detailed statistics, refer to the source dataset.