Latvia among EU leaders for women in science and engineering

In 2021, there were 6.9 million female scientists and engineers in the EU, 369 800 more than in 2020, accounting for 41% of total employment in science and engineering. The proportion of women scientists and engineers in Latvia is considerably higher than that – 51%.

Among the EU Member States, the proportion of female scientists and engineers varied widely in 2021. The highest shares were registered in Lithuania (52%) and Bulgaria, Latvia and Portugal (all 51%) and the lowest in Luxembourg (35%), Germany and Italy (both 34%), Hungary (33%) and Finland (31%). 

Looking at the specific high-tech related aggregates, women represented 46% of the scientists and engineers in the knowledge-intensive services, 22% in the high-technology sectors (high-technology manufacturing and knowledge-intensive high-technology services) and only 18% in the high and medium-technology manufacturing.

By sector of activity, women were underrepresented in all the sectors of the statistical classification of economic activities across the EU, although there was more of a gender balance in the services sector (46% of scientists and engineers were female). In the air transport sector, women represented 28%, while in the manufacturing sector, they represented only 21% of their scientists and engineers. The lowest percentage shares for women were registered in the water transport sector (only 8% were female), manufacture of transport equipment (12%) and motor vehicles (13%). 

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