Key Takeaways
- As of October 2023, there are 448,316 clinical studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, spanning 220 countries and targeting over 3,900 conditions
- From 2000 to 2023, annual registrations on ClinicalTrials.gov increased from 3,000 to over 50,000 per year, representing a 16-fold growth
- In 2022, 66,000 new interventional trials were registered globally on ClinicalTrials.gov, with 40% from industry sponsors
- Globally, 42% of trials registered in 2022 were Phase 1, compared to 25% Phase 2 and 18% Phase 3
- Basket trials, a type of master protocol design, increased to 1,200 registrations by 2023, up 300% since 2015
- Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) account for 65% of interventional Phase 3 studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, totaling around 29,250 studies
- Oncology trials dominate with 22.4% of total registrations (100,000+ studies), followed by neurology at 10.2%
- Cardiovascular disease trials total 38,500 studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, accounting for 8.6% of interventional trials
- Infectious diseases, excluding COVID-19, have 25,000 trials, 5.6% of total, with vaccines comprising 40%
- Industry sponsors fund 55% of trials (246,000 studies), academia 25% (112,000), per ClinicalTrials.gov 2023 data
- United States hosts 45% of all trials (201,742 studies), followed by China at 12% (53,798)
- Europe (EU countries) accounts for 28% of registrations (125,528 studies) as of October 2023
- Only 45% of trials registered before 2005 have published results, per 2022 analysis of 100,000 studies
- Phase 3 trials have 75% completion rate within estimated timelines, based on 20,000 reviewed studies
- 82% of oncology Phase 3 trials report primary endpoint success, from 5,000 completed studies analyzed
Global clinical trials have grown sixteenfold to over fifty thousand annually and span all major diseases.
Geographic and Sponsor
Geographic and Sponsor Interpretation
Phase and Design
Phase and Design Interpretation
Results and Impact
Results and Impact Interpretation
Therapeutic Focus
Therapeutic Focus Interpretation
Trial Volume and Growth
Trial Volume and Growth Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Clinical Study Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/clinical-study-statistics
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Clinical Study Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/clinical-study-statistics.
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Clinical Study Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/clinical-study-statistics.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CLINICALTRIALSclinicaltrials.govVisit source
- Reference 2PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 3FDAfda.govVisit source
- Reference 4THELANCETthelancet.comVisit source
- Reference 5WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 6EMAema.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 7NATUREnature.comVisit source
- Reference 8IQVIAiqvia.comVisit source






