Women hold 35 percent of global STEM research positions, yet that figure masks a persistent attrition problem. Half of women in US tech leave the field by age 35, and in Japan, 70 percent leave after childbirth.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 35% of women report gender bias as a barrier to STEM careers per UNESCO 2021
- In the United States, women received 21% of bachelor's degrees in computer science in 2022, compared to 37% in 1984
- In the US, women hold 10% of CEO positions in top STEM firms 2023
- Female representation in US STEM bachelor's degrees increased from 10% in 1970 to 22% in 2022
- In the US STEM workforce, women hold 28% of positions as of 2021
Women in STEM are still underrepresented, but their growing presence is reshaping innovation and leadership.
Related reading
01 · Category
Barriers and Challenges20 stats
01
Globally, 35% of women report gender bias as a barrier to STEM careers per UNESCO 2021
02
In the US, 50% of women in tech leave by age 35 due to workplace culture
03
UK survey 52% women in STEM experienced harassment 2022
04
Implicit bias affects women's hiring in STEM by 2:1 ratio per meta-analysis 2015
05
US women PhDs in STEM 52% less likely to negotiate salary
06
In India, 43% women cite family responsibilities as STEM dropout reason 2023
07
Australia 60% women report lack of role models in STEM 2021
08
Canada 38% women face discrimination in STEM promotions 2022
09
EU 29% women in STEM cite work-life balance issues 2021
10
Japan 70% women leave STEM post-childbirth 2022
11
Brazil 45% women report sexual harassment in academia 2021
12
South Africa 55% black women face intersectional bias in STEM 2023
13
Germany 41% women denied tenure due to maternity 2022
14
France 33% women experience microaggressions daily in STEM 2023
15
China 25% women report funding bias in STEM grants 2021
16
Mexico 48% indigenous women cite access barriers to STEM 2022
17
Sweden 22% women face pay gap of 15% in STEM 2023
18
US 63% women in STEM report imposter syndrome 2022
19
Global maternal wall effect reduces women's STEM publications by 20% post-birth
20
In US, women in STEM 2x more likely to experience sexual harassment than men
Interpretation
Barriers and Challenges Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim, global portrait of a leaky pipeline in STEM, where women face a persistent barrage of biases, harassment, and structural obstacles that drive them out at every stage, from classroom to career, proving that the real unsolved equation is systemic inequality.
02 · Category
Education and Enrollment26 stats
01
In the United States, women received 21% of bachelor's degrees in computer science in 2022, compared to 37% in 1984
02
Globally, women account for 35% of students enrolled in STEM programs at the tertiary level as of 2020
03
In the EU, female graduates in engineering, manufacturing, and construction fields represented 27.5% of total graduates in 2021
04
Women earned 50.2% of all bachelor's degrees in biological and biomedical sciences in the US in 2021
05
In India, female enrollment in engineering courses was 28.6% of total engineering enrollment in 2020-21
06
UK women comprised 39% of STEM undergraduates in 2021/22, up from 35% in 2011/12
07
In Australia, women made up 32% of domestic higher education STEM graduates in 2021
08
Canada saw women earning 41% of STEM bachelor's degrees in 2021
09
In Japan, women accounted for 15.9% of engineering bachelor's degrees in 2021
10
Brazil reported 31% female enrollment in STEM undergraduate programs in 2022
11
South Korea had women comprising 20.3% of science and engineering graduates in 2021
12
In Germany, women earned 29% of degrees in mathematics, computer science, and natural sciences in 2021
13
France saw 34% of engineering diplomas awarded to women in 2022
14
In the US, women represented 24% of master's degrees in engineering in 2022
15
UNESCO data shows 33% global female share in tertiary STEM enrollment in 2019
16
In China, women earned 40% of STEM bachelor's degrees in 2020
17
Mexico had 38% female STEM graduates in 2021
18
In Sweden, women accounted for 37% of STEM PhD completions in 2021
19
US women earned 57% of psychology bachelor's but only 18% in physics in 2022
20
In 2021, 28% of Indian IIT admissions were women under gender quota
21
Australia women 28% in IT undergraduate enrollment 2022
22
Canada female STEM doctoral degrees 39% in 2021
23
Japan women 16% in computer science grads 2021
24
EU women 25% in ICT tertiary graduates 2021
25
US HBCUs saw 45% female STEM enrollment 2022
26
Global average female STEM PhD 28% in 2020
Interpretation
Education and Enrollment Interpretation
The numbers are a progress report that reads like a stubbornly sexist novel: while women dominate life sciences and psychology, they remain frustratingly underrepresented in computing and engineering—a global pattern of untapped potential that shouts "systemic issue," not "pipeline problem."
03 · Category
Leadership and Achievements21 stats
01
In the US, women hold 10% of CEO positions in top STEM firms 2023
02
Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to women 4 out of 222 laureates as of 2023
03
Women lead 27% of US National Science Foundation-funded projects in 2022
04
In the UK, 15% of STEM professors are women in 2023
05
Fields Medal awarded to women 2 out of 64 mathematicians since 1936
06
US women 22% of STEM department chairs in 2021
07
Turing Award recipients include 3 women out of 75 as of 2023
08
In Canada, women 18% of corporate board seats in tech 2022
09
Australia CSIRO executive women 40% in 2023
10
EU women 13% of top R&D managers 2021
11
India women 7% of AI startup founders 2023
12
US Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics to 1 woman solo out of many
13
Japan women 8% of university presidents in STEM fields 2022
14
Brazil women 25% of academy leadership in sciences 2021
15
Women astronauts NASA 11% of total as of 2023
16
In Germany, 20% of DFG research center directors women 2022
17
France women 24% of CNRS research directors 2023
18
China Academy of Sciences 12% female members 2022
19
Mexico women 30% of CONACYT grant PIs 2021
20
Sweden 28% women in top academic positions STEM 2023
21
US women 16% patent inventors in STEM 2022
Interpretation
Leadership and Achievements Interpretation
The statistics paint a picture not of a pipeline problem, but of a series of very elegant, and very exclusive, gentlemen's clubs.
More related reading
04 · Category
Trends and Progress20 stats
01
Female representation in US STEM bachelor's degrees increased from 10% in 1970 to 22% in 2022
02
Global female STEM researchers rose from 28% in 2010 to 33% in 2021
03
UK women in engineering workforce up 5% from 2017 to 2023
04
US women computer science degrees doubled from 2015 to 2022 levels
05
India female engineering enrollment grew 10% annually 2015-2022
06
Australia STEM female graduates up 8% since 2016
07
Canada women in tech workforce increased to 25% in 2022 from 20% in 2016
08
EU female ICT graduates rose to 21% in 2022 from 17% in 2013
09
Japan women STEM PhDs up 50% from 2010 to 2021
10
Brazil women researchers doubled to 50% since 2000
11
South Korea female engineering grads up 15% 2015-2022
12
Germany women in STEM faculty 25% to 30% 2015-2022
13
France engineering schools female intake 25% to 35% 2010-2022
14
China women STEM workforce 37% to 41% 2015-2021
15
Mexico female STEM enrollment up 20% since 2015
16
Sweden women in tech leadership 15% to 22% 2018-2023
17
US women patents in STEM rose 25% 2010-2022
18
Global Cracking the Code report shows female STEM enrollment +12% decade average
19
In US, women-led STEM startups tripled from 2010 to 2023
20
UK female STEM apprenticeships up 40% 2015-2023
Interpretation
Trends and Progress Interpretation
These statistics show we are finally turning the faucet on for women in STEM, but frankly, after decades of a drip, the global pipework still needs a much bigger wrench.
05 · Category
Workforce Participation20 stats
01
In the US STEM workforce, women hold 28% of positions as of 2021
02
Women comprise 24% of the engineering workforce in the US in 2022
03
Globally, women represent 33% of researchers in STEM fields per UNESCO 2021
04
In the UK, 27% of STEM professionals are women in 2023
05
US computer and mathematical occupations have 26% women in 2022
06
In Canada, women are 23% of engineering professionals in 2021
07
Australia STEM workforce 36% female in 2022
08
EU women 17% in ICT specialists 2022
09
In India, women constitute 14% of the IT workforce in 2023
10
US life sciences workforce 52% women in 2021
11
Japan women 15% in STEM R&D workforce 2022
12
Brazil women 39% of scientific researchers 2021
13
South Africa women 42% in health sciences workforce 2022
14
In Germany, 27% of natural sciences professionals are women 2021
15
France tech sector women 26% in 2023
16
China women 41% of R&D personnel in 2021
17
Mexico engineering workforce 32% female 2022
18
Sweden IT workforce 22% women 2021
19
US academia STEM faculty 33% women in 2022
20
Global tech startups founded by women 20% in 2022
Interpretation
Workforce Participation Interpretation
The persistent, global underrepresentation of women in STEM is a glaringly inefficient use of roughly half the world's intellectual bandwidth, except in fields like life sciences which show that equitable participation is not only possible but already happening in pockets of brilliance.
report visual · Comparison
Barriers and adverse experiences for women in STEM
Across countries and survey/sector findings, large shares of women report bias, harassment, and workplace culture as barriers to STEM participation and advancement.
Women leaving STEM post-childbirth (Japan)70%
Women in STEM who experienced harassment (UK)52%
Women in tech leaving by age 35 due to workplace culture (US)50%
Women facing discrimination in STEM promotions (Canada)38%
Women reporting gender bias as a barrier to STEM careers (global)35%
Women experiencing microaggressions daily (France)33%
Reference
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.
APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Women In Stem Fields Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-fields-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Women In Stem Fields Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-fields-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Women In Stem Fields Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-fields-statistics.
Sources & references
67 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level