The recently released 2023 Nature Index Annual Tables have provided insights into the institutions and countries that made significant contributions to high-quality research published in 2022. The tables reveal that China has surpassed the United States to claim the top spot in the natural sciences category, while the US leads in health sciences research, which has been included in the analysis for the first time.
China's overall contribution to research in the natural sciences, encompassing physical sciences, chemistry, biological sciences, and Earth and environmental sciences, has propelled it from second place to first place, as measured by Share in the Nature Index. China experienced a remarkable 21.4% growth in adjusted Share compared to 2021, marking the largest increase among the top ten countries featured in the Annual Tables.
The institutional tables also reflect China's dominance in the natural sciences: Six out of the top ten leading institutions are from China, with two from the United States, and one each from France and Germany; The Chinese Academy of Sciences maintains its position at the forefront for the eleventh consecutive year, boasting a Share of 2,054 in 2022. This places it comfortably ahead of Harvard University in second place with a Share of 813, and Germany's Max Planck Society in third place with a Share of 682; Sun Yat-sen University witnessed an impressive growth of over 50% in adjusted Share in the field of Earth and environmental science; Fudan University experienced a substantial rise of 65% in the field of Biological Sciences; and Chinese institutions hold 18 of the top 20 positions in chemistry.
Despite China's ascendancy in research output, the United States remains a formidable presence in the Nature Index tables. Both countries have 19 institutions among the top 50 in the natural sciences categories.
For the first time, the Nature Index database incorporates articles from 64 medical journals, enabling users to track trends in the health sciences. In this domain, the United States has a significant lead with a Share of 5,352, surpassing China, which holds second place with a Share of 1,287, more than four times lower than the US.
Highlights from the health sciences category include: Fifteen of the top 20 institutions in this category are from the United States; Harvard University leads the pack with a Share of 487, followed by the National Institutes of Health in second place with a Share of 188; and Alongside US institutions, only Canada, China, Sweden, and the United Kingdom feature in the top 20.
David Swinbanks, Founder of the Nature Index, commented on this year's Index, stating, "Trends in the Nature Index Annual Tables in recent years pointed to it being a matter of when, not if, China's research investment saw them overtake the United States in the natural sciences. The size of their growth across 2021 to 2022 meant falls elsewhere were inevitable, and we can see it across the other leading nations. However, China's strength has not impacted health sciences, where the United States dominates the global field."
Swinbanks also noted the mixed global landscape outside of China and the United States, with significant drops in Share seen in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. Australia, Singapore, and Russia also experienced double-digit drops in adjusted Share, down 14%, 15%, and 17% respectively.
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