State of Scientific Employment: France Ranks 7th Globally in Number of Researchers

Beyond those impactful figures, this extensive report highlights four key areas particularly relevant for international comparison: the number of research jobs, employment outcomes for PhD holders, gender representation in research, and the international mobility of doctoral candidates and researchers into France.

Researcher Numbers and Density in France, Europe, and Globally

In 2021, France had 333,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers, placing it 7th in the world behind China (2,405,500), the United States (1,639,300), and Japan (704,500). Within the European Union, France ranks second country with most researchers after Germany (461,600). Between 2011 and 2021, the number of researchers in France grew by 34%, equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 3%. Compared to countries that are better ranked in terms of number of researchers, the French annual rate is higher than Japan’s (0.7%) and comparable to Germany’s (3.1%). 

According to another indicator, in 2021 France will rank 6th in the world in terms of researcher density. The Ministry’s statistical services have compared the number of researchers in France to the number of people in work, and with 12 researchers per 1,000 jobs, France ranks 6th in the world. According to the Ministry, this puts France above the EU average and higher than Germany.

International Comparison of PhD Employment Outcomes

According to the ministry’s data, in 2022, just over 1% (1.1%) of adults aged 25 to 64 in the EU held a doctoral degree—compared with 1% in France. For comparison, 16% held a master’s degree.

Doctoral degrees generally lead to higher employment rates than master’s degrees. Across the EU in 2022, employment rates were 93% for PhD holders versus 89% for those with a master's degree or equivalent.

In France, this doctoral pattern also fosters employment in all EU countries: 92% of PhD holders aged 25–64 were employed, compared to 90% of master's graduates. Notably, the employment advantage of holding a PhD is greater for women than for men.

Gender Representation in Public and Private Sector Research

The proportion of women in public research is increasing, particularly in more highly qualified roles, and the trend is mirrored in the corporate sector. 

In 2022, women made up 41.5% of researchers in government research institutions, though this varies significantly by institution type. In the health sector (e.g. university hospitals), women accounted for 57.4% of researchers, compared to just 41.2% in universities.

Regarding women researchers in the private sector, women are underrepresented compared to the public sector: only 23% of researchers and 30% of research support staff are female. Gender disparities also vary considerably across research industries. The pharmaceutical and chemical industries are the only sectors where women outnumber men in research roles.

International Doctoral Students and Foreign Researchers in France

“France has long pursued policies to enhance its international visibility in research”, the ministry notes. The proportion of “internationally mobile” doctoral students steadily increased until around 2009–2010. The ministry also notes that France “hosted an estimated 25,200 internationally mobile PhD students as of the 2023 academic year”.

In fact, 42% of all doctoral graduates in 2018 were foreign nationals (regardless of the study course). Among those employed three years later—in 2021, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—53% were working in France, 28% in their home country, and 19% elsewhere. By the end of 2022, foreign nationals made up 15.1% of researchers employed in the public sector (including contract staff). Of these, 48% came from the EU. However, Africa and Asia—despite being major sources of doctoral students—were underrepresented in public research bodies and higher education institutions, accounting for only 14% and 16% respectively of all foreign researchers.

In contrast, private companies employed 19,300 foreign researchers in 2021, a higher figure than the public sector. These researchers represented 6.6% of the private-sector research workforce, a proportion that has grown significantly since 2015.