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RSS SubscribeWednesday 21st September 2005
Eurostat report shows proportion of science graduates on the rise
The number of EU students leaving university with degrees in scientific and technological subjects rose consistently between 1998 and 2002, according to a Commission-funded report on EU education data.
The sixth edition of the ‘Key Data on Education in Europe’ report, published by Eurostat and the information network Eurydice, shows the UK, Ireland and France leading in the field in numbers of S&T-trained graduates. But despite the recent increase, science graduates still account for the lowest share of tertiary qualifications in Europe and represent under 15% of all qualifications awarded.
The rate of growth of science and technology graduates per 1000 inhabitants aged between 20 and 29 ranges from 10% to 50% between EU countries. The proportion of graduates in science, mathematics and computing is highest in Ireland and the UK at 19% and 17% respectively. Figures are lowest in Malta, Cyprus and Romania.
The proportion of graduates in science, technology and computing rose by 50% or more in Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, whereas there was a slight decrease in Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Austria.
The report also shows men outnumbering women in scientific subjects, with the trend particularly pronounced in engineering, manufacturing and construction. For instance, women account for just 18% of engineering graduates in the Netherlands.
