Albania ranks at the bottom of Europe for the number of graduates with doctorates in the fields of science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, manufacturing and construction, in relation to the young population.
Eurostat data shows that in 2023, Albania had 0 doctoral graduates per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34, compared to 0.9 doctorates per 1,000 inhabitants in the European Union, while in the years before 2023, doctoral degrees in science in our country were at very minimal levels.
The difference is also noticeable when compared to countries in the region. In 2023, Serbia had 0.5 doctoral graduates per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34, while Montenegro and North Macedonia had 0.1 per 1,000 inhabitants.
In some of the most developed European economies, the figure was significantly higher. Switzerland led the way with 1.9 doctoral graduates per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34, while France and Luxembourg each had 1.3. Germany and Sweden each recorded
1.1 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The Eurostat indicator includes doctorates in a group of fields considered directly related to the scientific and technological capacities of an economy, sciences, mathematics, computer science, engineering, manufacturing and construction.
Data by gender show that the situation in Albania has remained at minimal levels in recent years. For men, the indicator was 0 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021, increased to 0.1 in 2022, and returned to 0 in 2023. For women, the indicator was 0.1 in 2021 and 2022, and was 0 in 2023.
In the European Union, the gap between men and women is still noticeable. In 2023, the number of male doctoral graduates in these fields was 1.1 per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34, while for women it was 0.7 per 1,000.
For 2024, the EU average increased to 1.1 per 1,000 for men and 0.8 for women. For Albania, Eurostat does not present data for 2024 in the published table.
The data are part of Eurostat's statistics on doctoral graduates and are measured as the number of graduates per 1,000 inhabitants in the 25–34 age group.
Data on doctoral students in science is seen as a key factor in bringing technological and industrial transformations to countries./ Monitor
