In 2018, the number of scientists and engineers in the European Union (EU) aged between 25 and 64 increased by 4% when compared with 2017, according to the figures published by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat).
The total number of scientists and engineers in the EU is estimated to be 17.2 million, and they represent 23% of all workers employed in science and technology occupations in the EU.
In terms of the distribution of scientists and engineers across the EU, for most countries this is generally in line with their share of the EU population.
However, the United Kingdom and Germany together accounted for 37% of the scientists and engineers in the EU, which is higher than their combined share of the EU population (29%).
In contrast, Italy and France accounted for 16% of the scientists and engineers in the EU, which is below their combined share of the EU population (25%).
According to Eurostat, in Finland there were 272,300 scientists and engineers at the end of 2018.
