Germany's Top 2% Scientists 2021: Career-Long List

Germany has 9,986 scientists on the 2021 career-long Top 2% list, up 13.6% from 8,792 in 2020. That places Germany 3rd in the world by number of listed scientists. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München has the most listed scientists (224), followed by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (182).

Single Year

9,436

+1,259 (+15.4%) vs 2020

Career Data

9,986

+1,194 (+13.6%) vs 2020

World rank by count

No change vs 2020

Institutes

1,212

+152 (+14.3%) vs 2020

Scientists in Germany on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 14% since 2020.

Career-long list, change on the previous year

2021+13.6%

2022+5.8%

2023+4.1%

2024+5.3%

2025+5.1%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	8,177		8,792
2021	9,436	+15.4%	9,986	+13.6%
2022	9,961	+5.6%	10,562	+5.8%
2023	10,088	+1.3%	10,990	+4.1%
2024	10,422	+3.3%	11,573	+5.3%
2025	10,666	+2.3%	12,166	+5.1%

Top 10 institutes in Germany

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2021

Show the list

1Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München224
2Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg182
3Universität Heidelberg176
4Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin164
5Technical University of Munich160
6Universität Freiburg im Breisgau160
7Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen159
8Universität Bonn156
9Universität Tübingen155
10Ruhr-Universitat Bochum147

All 9,986 scientists

Career-long list2021

The first 100 are free to browse.

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Rank in Germany	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	43	GS Grimme, Stefan	Universität Bonn	Chemical Physics	Rank 2
2	44	SG Sheldrick, George M.	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 1
3	115	MM Mann, Matthias	Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry	Developmental Biology	Rank 11
4	174	SH Sies, Helmut	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 12
5	230	BP Bork, Peer	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 19
6	280	NF Neese, Frank	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Chemical Physics	Rank 10
7	306	van der Aalst, Wil M.P.	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 7
8	315	FA Fürstner, Alois	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 6
9	340	RM Reetz, Manfred T.	Philipps-Universität Marburg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 7
10	360	AL Ackermann, Lutz	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 8
11	386	BP Blöchl, Peter E.	Technische Universität Clausthal	Applied Physics	Rank 18
12	412	MJ Maier, Joachim	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Energy	Rank 5
13	419	SV Springel, Volker	Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 1
14	426	AM Antonietti, Markus	Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 16
15	445	BK Binder, Kurt	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 5
16	455	WH Wittchen, Hans Ulrich	Technische Universität Dresden	Psychiatry	Rank 16
17	481	HW Herrmann, Wolfgang A.	Technical University of Munich	Organic Chemistry	Rank 11
18	497	CP Crutzen, P. J.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 2
19	594	HF Holsboer, Florian	Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry	Psychiatry	Rank 19
20	604	SW Singer, Wolf	Max Planck Institute for Brain Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 61
21	609	SA Stamatakis, Alexandros	Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS GmbH)	Bioinformatics	Rank 2
22	677	HA Hashmi, A. Stephen K.	Universität Heidelberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 20
23	689	BH Brenner, Hermann	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 27
24	698	HS Hell, Stefan W.	Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry	Optics	Rank 3
25	731	HF Hartl, F. Ulrich	Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry	Developmental Biology	Rank 58
26	759	AM Andreae, Meinrat O.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 4
27	827	LW Löscher, Wolfgang	Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 85
28	840	LB List, Benjamin	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 23
29	858	FA Friederici, Angela D.	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 86
30	866	ZH Zur Hausen, Harald	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 37
31	902	DH Diener, Hans Christoph	Universitätsklinikum Essen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 91
32	908	NE Neher, Erwin	Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 92
33	919	RP Russell, Philip St J.	Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light	Optics	Rank 5
34	924	MK Müllen, Klaus	Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 31
35	928	BH Braak, Heiko	Universität Ulm	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 95
36	950	EG Ertl, Gerhard	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Chemical Physics	Rank 34
37	961	SK Simons, Kai	Lipotype GmbH	Developmental Biology	Rank 73
38	967	NM Neurath, Markus F.	Universitätsklinikum Erlangen	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 13
39	972	PM Pfaffl, Michael W.	Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 1
40	1,017	SB Scrosati, Bruno	Helmholtz Institute Ulm	Energy	Rank 11
41	1,018	BP Baeuerle, Patrick A.	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Immunology	Rank 47
42	1,034	GP Grassberger, Peter	Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 9
43	1,056	WF Würthner, Frank	Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 32
44	1,061	JC Janiak, Christoph	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 8
45	1,086	RD Raabe, Dierk	Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH	Materials	Rank 14
46	1,122	MM Manns, Michael Peter	Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH)	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 17
47	1,131	SF Schüth, F.	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 34
48	1,143	BC Brabec, Christoph J.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Applied Physics	Rank 43
49	1,158	HA Henglein, Arnim	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)	Chemical Physics	Rank 40
50	1,229	KW Kabsch, Wolfgang	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 68
51	1,318	CR Conrad, Ralf	Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 17
52	1,319	BM Beller, Matthias	Leibniz Institute for Catalysis	Organic Chemistry	Rank 38
53	1,443	BC Bolm, Carsten	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 41
54	1,451	DS Dimmeler, Stefanie	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 85
55	1,472	PS Parkin, S. S.P.	Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics	Applied Physics	Rank 54
56	1,480	WO Wolfbeis, Otto S.	Universität Regensburg	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 4
57	1,522	RK Rajewsky, Klaus	Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine	Immunology	Rank 57
58	1,536	SB Schölkopf, Bernhard	Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 35
59	1,549	RB Rost, Burkhard	Fakultät für Informatik, Technische Universität München	Bioinformatics	Rank 9
60	1,559	ZS Zeuzem, Stefan	Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 22
61	1,581	RW Risau, Werner	Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research - W. G. Kerckhoff Institute	Developmental Biology	Rank 114
62	1,586	BM Breteler, Monique M.B.	Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V.	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 163
63	1,650	RE Ritz, Eberhard	Universität Heidelberg	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 14
64	1,665	WH Werner, Hans Joachim	Universität Stuttgart	Chemical Physics	Rank 58
65	1,684	FS Fulda, Simone	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 72
66	1,717	PS Pääbo, Svante	Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology	Developmental Biology	Rank 120
67	1,718	AR Amann, Rudolf	Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 28
68	1,727	SP Seeburg, Peter H.	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 173
69	1,774	WR Waser, Rainer	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Applied Physics	Rank 61
70	1,781	MH Moeller, Hans Juergen	Klinikum der Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 60
71	1,798	WD Weigel, Detlef	Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology	Developmental Biology	Rank 126
72	1,805	KP Krammer, Peter H.	German Cancer Research Center	Immunology	Rank 72
73	1,824	PB Persson, B. N.J.	Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)	Chemical Physics	Rank 65
74	1,828	SD Svergun, Dmitri I.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 93
75	1,833	HA Hofmann, Albrecht W.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 12
76	1,839	HR Huber, Robert	Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 94
77	1,855	HP Hänggi, Peter	Universität Augsburg	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 15
78	1,920	HJ Hoeijmakers, Jan H.J.	CECAD Exzellant in Alternsforschung	Developmental Biology	Rank 137
79	1,921	GD Guldi, Dirk M.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 55
80	1,970	TT Ternes, Thomas	Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde	Environmental Sciences	Rank 5
81	2,004	SR Schlögl, Robert	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Physical Chemistry	Rank 11
82	2,009	HA Hirsch, Andreas	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 59
83	2,044	HC Haass, Christian	Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V.	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 202
84	2,070	HG Heusch, Gerd	Universitätsklinikum Essen	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 112
85	2,108	MP Malfertheiner, Peter	Klinikum der Universität München	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 35
86	2,137	VM von Mutius, Erika	Klinikum der Universität München	Allergy	Rank 8
87	2,144	LF Luft, Friedrich C.	Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 113
88	2,148	CM Cardona, M.	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Applied Physics	Rank 71
89	2,205	CJ Cirac, J. Ignacio	Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics	General Physics	Rank 19
90	2,222	GG Gigerenzer, Gerd	Max Planck Institute for Human Development	Experimental Psychology	Rank 32
91	2,241	BI Baldwin, Ian Thomas	Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 13
92	2,259	LK Lesch, Klaus Peter	Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg	Psychiatry	Rank 75
93	2,277	AR Ahlrichs, Reinhart	Karlsruhe Institute of Technology	Chemical Physics	Rank 75
94	2,299	TT Tscharntke, Teja	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Ecology	Rank 44
95	2,302	KY Kuzyakov, Yakov	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 6
96	2,310	MH Möhwald, Helmuth	Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces	Chemical Physics	Rank 76
97	2,318	BN Birbaumer, Niels	Universität Tübingen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 222
98	2,329	GF Glorius, Frank	Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster	Organic Chemistry	Rank 65
99	2,330	NM Nauck, Michael A.	St. Josef-Hospital im Katholischen Klinikum Bochum	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 85
100	2,338	SM Stitt, Mark	Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 14
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2021

United States75,908 scientistsin 2021

United Kingdom17,237 scientistsin 2021

Canada8,127 scientistsin 2021

Japan7,362 scientistsin 2021

China6,943 scientistsin 2021

Australia6,369 scientistsin 2021

Explore other countries

Career-long list2021

France5,912 scientistsin 2021

Netherlands3,857 scientistsin 2021

Switzerland2,974 scientistsin 2021

Belgium1,666 scientistsin 2021

Austria1,162 scientistsin 2021

Luxembourg42 scientistsin 2021

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Germany are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?

9,436 scientists affiliated with Germany are on the 2021 single-year list, and 9,986 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2021 career-long list, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München has the most listed scientists from Germany, with 224. It is followed by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg with 182.

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

On the career-long list, Germany went from 8,792 scientists in 2020 to 9,986 in 2021, a change of +13.6%.

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.