China's Top 2% Scientists 2023: Career-Long List

China has 9,013 scientists on the 2023 career-long Top 2% list, up 17.2% from 7,693 in 2022. That places China 4th in the world by number of listed scientists, up 1 place. Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists (336), followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (204).

Single Year

23,487

+4,177 (+21.6%) vs 2022

Career Data

9,013

+1,320 (+17.2%) vs 2022

World rank by count

up 1 place vs 2022

Institutes

1,027

+135 (+15.1%) vs 2022

Scientists in China on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 71% since 2020.

Career-long list, change on the previous year

2021+31.7%

2022+10.8%

2023+17.2%

2024+18.6%

2025+15.8%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	12,955		5,273
2021	16,611	+28.2%	6,943	+31.7%
2022	19,310	+16.2%	7,693	+10.8%
2023	23,487	+21.6%	9,013	+17.2%
2024	27,166	+15.7%	10,689	+18.6%
2025	31,697	+16.7%	12,375	+15.8%

Top 10 institutes in China

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2023

Show the list

1Tsinghua University336
2Shanghai Jiao Tong University204
3Harbin Institute of Technology166
4Huazhong University of Science and Technology156
5Peking University152
6Fudan University144
7Central South University134
8Tianjin University130
9Beihang University127
10Sun Yat-Sen University112

All 9,013 scientists

Career-long list2023

The first 100 are free to browse.

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Rank in China	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	2	Wang, Zhong Lin	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 2
2	104	RD Rubin, Donald B.	Tsinghua University	Statistics & Probability	Rank 1
3	115	ZJ Zhu, Jian Kang	Southern University of Science and Technology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 1
4	135	IA Inoue, Akihisa	Tianjin University	Materials	Rank 1
5	145	HJ He, Ji Huan	Soochow University	Energy	Rank 2
6	162	XZ Xu, Zeshui	Business School of Sichuan University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 6
7	514	ZD Zhao, Dongyuan	Fudan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 17
8	548	DL Dai, Liming	Ocean University of China	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 20
9	636	Cao, Jinde	Southeast University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 18
10	755	ZZ Zhou, Zhi Hua	Nanjing University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 23
11	777	SJ Stoddart, J. Fraser	Zhejiang University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 22
12	842	YJ Yu, Jiaguo	China University of Geosciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 26
13	920	NC Nan, Ce Wen	Tsinghua University	Materials	Rank 12
14	969	LY Li, Yongfang	Soochow University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 31
15	1,013	LY Liu, Yong Jun	The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University	Immunology	Rank 43
16	1,018	SY Shi, Yigong	Westlake University	Developmental Biology	Rank 69
17	1,023	ZZ Zhang, Zhengyou	Tencent	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 30
18	1,171	WK Wüthrich, Kurt	ShanghaiTech University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 64
19	1,279	YC Yang, Chung S.	Anhui Agricultural University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 54
20	1,441	LK Lu, K.	Institute of Metal Research Chinese Academy of Sciences	Materials	Rank 17
21	1,702	ZR Zhang, Rui	The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 11
22	1,711	LY Li, Yadong	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 46
23	1,835	MW Ma, Wen Xiu	Zhejiang Normal University	Mathematical Physics	Rank 3
24	1,840	LC Li, Can	Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Physical Chemistry	Rank 9
25	1,867	WJ Wang, Jianlong	Tsinghua University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 4
26	1,899	SD Sun, Da Wen	South China University of Technology	Food Science	Rank 4
27	1,925	YJ Yuan, Junying	Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 96
28	1,955	YS Yu, Shu Hong	Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 50
29	2,028	ME Ma, Evan	Xi'an Jiaotong University	Materials	Rank 25
30	2,051	HB Hommel, Bernhard	Shandong Normal University	Experimental Psychology	Rank 36
31	2,219	WS Wei, Su Huai	Beijing Computational Science Research Center	Applied Physics	Rank 80
32	2,256	YY Yamamoto, Yoshinori	Dalian University of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 63
33	2,305	CP Chu, Paul K.	City University of Hong Kong	Applied Physics	Rank 82
34	2,311	XX Xie, Xiaoliang	Peking University	Chemical Physics	Rank 69
35	2,324	SH Shen, Hui Shen	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Mechanical Engineering & Transports	Rank 20
36	2,364	PM Peiris, Malik	The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine	Microbiology	Rank 40
37	2,392	SJ Shi, Jianlin	Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences	Materials	Rank 30
38	2,414	LX Li, X. U.	Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 19
39	2,475	ZY Zheng, Yong Fei	CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 20
40	2,573	PX Peng, Xiaogang	Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University	General Chemistry	Rank 31
41	2,617	YV Yam, Vivian Wing Wah	The University of Hong Kong	General Chemistry	Rank 32
42	2,642	TB Tang, Ben Zhong	The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 58
43	2,667	PM Poo, Mu Ming	Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 252
44	2,682	WB Wang, Bin	Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 23
45	2,739	WG Wei, Guiwu	Sichuan Normal University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 69
46	2,911	LY Lo, Yuk Ming Dennis	Prince of Wales Hospital Hong Kong	General Clinical Medicine	Rank 2
47	3,018	CY Cao, Yong	South China Agricultural University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 62
48	3,041	DC Dong, Chen	Renji Hospital	Immunology	Rank 121
49	3,085	TS Tong, Shaocheng	Liaoning University of Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 77
50	3,189	LS Liao, Shijun	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Mathematical Physics	Rank 4
51	3,257	WW Wang, Wei Hua	University of Science and Technology Beijing	Applied Physics	Rank 104
52	3,269	HL Ho, Luis C.	Peking University	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 16
53	3,298	AM Anpo, Masakazu	Fuzhou University	Chemical Physics	Rank 101
54	3,373	LJ Liu, Jun	Central South University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 66
55	3,380	SC Shi, Caijun	Hunan University	Building & Construction	Rank 2
56	3,604	PS Pennycook, Stephen J.	University of Chinese Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 112
57	3,620	WT Webster, Thomas J.	Hebei University of Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 69
58	3,631	SG Song, Guang Ling	Xiamen University	Materials	Rank 43
59	3,661	MS Ma, Shengming	Fudan University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 99
60	3,706	WX Wang, Xiaodong	Tsinghua University	Developmental Biology	Rank 201
61	3,742	WL Wang, Li	East China Jiaotong University	Materials	Rank 45
62	3,841	SJ Sander, Josemir W.	West China School of Medicine/West China Hospital of Sichuan University	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 352
63	3,970	CR Cai, Rong Gen	Institute of Theoretical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 49
64	3,984	TD Tocher, Douglas R.	Shantou University	Fisheries	Rank 3
65	3,988	MB Meunier, Bernard	Guangdong University of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 106
66	4,012	AZ An, Zhisheng	Institute of Earth Environment	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 36
67	4,089	CH Cheng, Hui Ming	Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 74
68	4,107	SD Sornette, Didier	Southern University of Science and Technology	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 31
69	4,108	WY Wang, Youfa	School of Basic Medical Sciences	Nutrition & Dietetics	Rank 34
70	4,117	YA Yao, Andrew Chi Chih	Tsinghua University	Computation Theory & Mathematics	Rank 8
71	4,140	AB Ainsworth, Barbara E.	Shanghai University of Sport	Public Health	Rank 32
72	4,276	LH Löe, Harald	Prince Philip Dental Hospital	Dentistry	Rank 11
73	4,339	SM Shahbaz, Muhammad	Beijing Institute of Technology	Energy	Rank 45
74	4,388	BJ Bennetzen, Jeffrey	Anhui Agricultural University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 30
75	4,475	OS Oyama, S. Ted	Fuzhou University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 20
76	4,698	YC Yang, Chen Ning	Tsinghua University	Applied Physics	Rank 137
77	4,703	WF Wang, Fei Yue	Institute of Automation Chinese Academy of Sciences	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 105
78	4,762	SR Sun, Runcang	Dalian Polytechnic University	Polymers	Rank 33
79	4,840	ZS Zhou, Shu Feng	Huaqiao University	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 33
80	4,899	MH Mao, Ho kwang	Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research	Applied Physics	Rank 141
81	4,910	ZJ Zhang, Jiujun	College of Sciences	Energy	Rank 54
82	4,952	LJ Lau, Joseph T.F.	Wenzhou Medical University	Public Health	Rank 40
83	4,982	TH Tian, He	East China University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 119
84	4,989	HK Hashimoto, Kenji	Chiba University	Psychiatry	Rank 146
85	5,030	LY Liu, Youhua	Southern Medical University	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 43
86	5,045	TM Tonetti, Maurizio S.	Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine	Dentistry	Rank 15
87	5,287	XQ Xu, Qiang	Southern University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 125
88	5,291	MB Mukherjee, Biswanath	Soochow University	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 38
89	5,298	CX Cao, Xuetao	Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College	Immunology	Rank 212
90	5,333	XH Xu, Hong Kun	Hangzhou Dianzi University	General Mathematics	Rank 11
91	5,382	LG Lu, G.	Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 90
92	5,456	XL Xiao, Lihua	South China Agricultural University	Mycology & Parasitology	Rank 6
93	5,502	LS Li, Stan Z.	Westlake University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 114
94	5,544	MK Maruoka, Keiji	Guangdong University of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 129
95	5,550	VJ Volkman, John K.	Sinopec	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 58
96	5,752	XM Xing, Mingzhao	Southern University of Science and Technology	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 258
97	5,755	WE Weinan, E.	Peking University	Applied Mathematics	Rank 19
98	5,785	XL Xu, Lida	Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 124
99	5,845	ZY Zhu, Yongguan	Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences	Environmental Sciences	Rank 27
100	6,159	YH Yu, Han Qing	CAS Key Laboratory Of Urban Pollutant Conversion	Environmental Sciences	Rank 31
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2023

United States81,159 scientistsin 2023

United Kingdom18,692 scientistsin 2023

Germany10,990 scientistsin 2023

Canada8,815 scientistsin 2023

Japan8,126 scientistsin 2023

Australia7,002 scientistsin 2023

Explore other countries

Career-long list2023

South Korea2,120 scientistsin 2023

Taiwan1,669 scientistsin 2023

Hong Kong1,176 scientistsin 2023

Macau54 scientistsin 2023

India2,578 scientistsin 2023

Israel2,037 scientistsin 2023

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from China are in the 2023 Stanford Top 2% list?

23,487 scientists affiliated with China are on the 2023 single-year list, and 9,013 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in China has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2023 career-long list, Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists from China, with 336. It is followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University with 204.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in China changed since 2020?

On the career-long list, China went from 5,273 scientists in 2020 to 9,013 in 2023, a change of +70.9%.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.