Asia vs Europe vs Americas: where Top 2% scientists concentrate in 2026
Live ABS Nexora analytics: the United States alone lists 73,459 Top 2% scholars; China 35,681; the UK 18,269. Regional sums from leading countries show Americas ahead, with Asia-Pacific closing fast.
Which region has the most Top 2% scientists in 2026?
Direct answer: In ABS Nexora’s latest single-year analytics snapshot (selected year 2026), the United States remains the largest national cohort with 73,459 listed scholars, followed by China (35,681) and the United Kingdom (18,269). Summing the Directory’s top-20 country cohorts by region, the Americas lead on absolute counts, Asia-Pacific is second, and Europe is a close third — but country size, listing type, and field mix all matter.
The Directory indexes about 500,279 listed scholars overall (meta) and the 2026 single-year dashboard totals about 247,376 researchers across 170 countries.
What do the top national cohorts look like?
| Rank | Country | Listed scholars (2026 SY) | Avg. citations (snapshot) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 73,459 | 1,227 |
| 2 | China | 35,681 | 1,226 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 18,269 | 1,267 |
| 4 | Germany | 10,933 | 1,324 |
| 5 | Australia | 8,934 | 1,473 |
| 6 | Italy | 8,537 | 1,247 |
| 7 | Canada | 8,510 | 1,207 |
| 8 | India | 6,940 | 1,125 |
| 9 | France | 5,911 | 1,245 |
| 10 | Japan | 5,731 | 1,012 |
How do Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific compare?
Using the top-20 national cohorts only (not every country in the region):
- Americas* — United States 73,459 + Canada 8,510 ≈ 81,969
- Asia-Pacific* — China, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hong Kong ≈ 68,698
- Europe* — UK, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark ≈ 63,581
\*These are partial regional totals built from the largest Directory cohorts. Smaller countries still contribute to the full 170-country dashboard.
Why regional comparisons need careful reading
- Absolute counts favor large research systems (USA, China).
- Average citations in this snapshot are highest among top-10 countries for Australia (~1,473) and Germany (~1,324) — not always the biggest cohorts.
- Career listings reorder countries (see our career vs single-year guide).
- Field mix differs: the US is Clinical Medicine-heavy; China leads Enabling & Strategic Technologies nationally.
Explore the data yourself
- Country analytics
- United States country page
- China country page
- United Kingdom country page
- Related: Top countries for Top 2% scientists 2026
FAQ
Which region has the most Top 2% scientists? On absolute counts from leading national cohorts in ABS Nexora’s 2026 single-year snapshot, the Americas lead (driven by the United States’ 73,459 listed scholars), with Asia-Pacific second and Europe third among top-20 country sums.
Which country has the most Top 2% scientists? The United States, with 73,459 listed scholars in the latest single-year analytics snapshot.
How many countries appear in Directory analytics? About 170 countries in the current single-year dashboard totals.
Is Asia catching up to the United States? China grew from 12,757 (2020) to 35,681 (2026) listed scholars — the fastest large-system rise in the timeline — but the USA remains far ahead in absolute terms.
Where can I verify these figures? Open live Analytics or a country profile on ABS Nexora; numbers refresh with the Directory database.