Germany's Top 2% Scientists 2022: Career-Long List

Germany has 10,562 scientists on the 2022 career-long Top 2% list, up 5.8% from 9,986 in 2021. That places Germany 3rd in the world by number of listed scientists. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München has the most listed scientists (237), followed by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (194).

Single Year

9,961

+525 (+5.6%) vs 2021

Career Data

10,562

+576 (+5.8%) vs 2021

World rank by count

No change vs 2021

Institutes

1,296

+84 (+6.9%) vs 2021

Scientists in Germany on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 20% 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 list2022

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All 10,562 scientists

Career-long list2022

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	40	GS Grimme, Stefan	Universität Bonn	Chemical Physics	Rank 2
2	42	SG Sheldrick, George M.	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 1
3	115	MM Mann, Matthias	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 10
4	170	SH Sies, Helmut	Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 13
5	228	BP Bork, Peer	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 17
6	258	NF Neese, Frank	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Chemical Physics	Rank 10
7	275	van der Aalst, Wil M.P.	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 7
8	318	FA Fürstner, Alois	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 7
9	346	AL Ackermann, Lutz	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 8
10	349	RM Reetz, Manfred	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 9
11	395	BP Blöchl, Peter E.	Technische Universität Clausthal	Applied Physics	Rank 19
12	413	SV Springel, Volker	Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 1
13	423	MJ Maier, Joachim	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Energy	Rank 5
14	432	AM Antonietti, Markus	Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 16
15	453	BK Binder, Kurt	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 5
16	467	WH Wittchen, Hans Ulrich	Technische Universität Dresden	Psychiatry	Rank 16
17	491	CP Crutzen, P. J.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 2
18	502	HW Herrmann, Wolfgang A.	Technical University of Munich	Organic Chemistry	Rank 12
19	597	SA Stamatakis, Alexandros	Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS GmbH)	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 10
20	616	HF Holsboer, Florian	Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry	Psychiatry	Rank 20
21	636	SW Singer, Wolf	Max Planck Institute for Brain Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 63
22	637	BH Brenner, Hermann	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 24
23	670	KS Kaufmann, Stefan H.E.	Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology	Immunology	Rank 33
24	693	HS Hell, Stefan W.	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Optics	Rank 3
25	696	HA Hashmi, A. Stephen K.	Universität Heidelberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 21
26	706	JJ Jonas, Jost Bruno	Universität Heidelberg	Ophthalmology & Optometry	Rank 3
27	754	AM Andreae, Meinrat O.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 4
28	758	HF Hartl, F. Ulrich	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 52
29	835	FA Friederici, Angela D.	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences	Experimental Psychology	Rank 13
30	843	LW Löscher, Wolfgang	Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 85
31	873	LB List, Benjamin	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 27
32	879	PM Pfaffl, Michael W.	Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 1
33	897	NM Neurath, Markus F.	Universitätsklinikum Erlangen	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 14
34	915	DH Diener, Hans Christoph	Medizinischen Fakultät	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 92
35	917	ZH Zur Hausen, Harald	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 36
36	920	RP Russell, Philip St J.	Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light	Optics	Rank 5
37	952	MK Müllen, Klaus	Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 32
38	957	BH Braak, Heiko	Universität Ulm	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 96
39	982	EG Ertl, Gerhard	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Chemical Physics	Rank 32
40	983	NE Neher, Erwin	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 103
41	1,028	SK Simons, Kai	Lipotype GmbH	Developmental Biology	Rank 70
42	1,031	SB Scrosati, Bruno	Helmholtz-Institut Ulm	Energy	Rank 11
43	1,035	GP Grassberger, Peter	Jsc	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 9
44	1,045	WF Würthner, Frank	Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 33
45	1,055	JC Janiak, Christoph	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 8
46	1,077	RD Raabe, Dierk	Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH	Materials	Rank 14
47	1,096	BP Baeuerle, Patrick A.	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Immunology	Rank 49
48	1,139	BC Brabec, Christoph J.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 32
49	1,162	MM Manns, Michael	Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH)	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 17
50	1,170	SF Schüth, Ferdi	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 35
51	1,234	HA Henglein, Arnim	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)	Chemical Physics	Rank 40
52	1,300	KW Kabsch, Wolfgang	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 75
53	1,320	BM Beller, Matthias	Leibniz Institute for Catalysis	Organic Chemistry	Rank 40
54	1,367	CR Conrad, Ralf	Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 21
55	1,387	SB Schölkopf, Bernhard	Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 35
56	1,477	BC Bolm, Carsten	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 43
57	1,494	PS Parkin, Stuart S.P.	Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics	Applied Physics	Rank 60
58	1,497	DS Dimmeler, Stefanie	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 85
59	1,503	WF Watt, Fiona M.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 101
60	1,540	WO Wolfbeis, Otto S.	Universität Regensburg	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 4
61	1,574	RK Rajewsky, Klaus	Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine	Immunology	Rank 62
62	1,584	RB Rost, Burkhard	Institute for Advanced Study of Technical University of Munich	Bioinformatics	Rank 10
63	1,608	BM Breteler, Monique M.B.	Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V.	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 167
64	1,635	ZS Zeuzem, Stefan	Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 23
65	1,646	FS Fulda, Simone	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 68
66	1,651	RE Ritz, Eberhard	Universität Heidelberg	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 14
67	1,706	RW Risau, Werner	Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research - W. G. Kerckhoff Institute	Developmental Biology	Rank 108
68	1,728	WH Werner, Hans Joachim	Universität Stuttgart	Chemical Physics	Rank 59
69	1,738	PS Pääbo, Svante	Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie	Developmental Biology	Rank 110
70	1,797	WR Waser, Rainer	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Applied Physics	Rank 70
71	1,802	HA Hofmann, A. W.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 11
72	1,823	PB Persson, B. N.J.	Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)	Chemical Physics	Rank 61
73	1,840	AR Amann, Rudolf I.	Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 31
74	1,842	SD Svergun, Dmitri I.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 97
75	1,844	MH Moeller, Hans Juergen	Klinikum der Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 62
76	1,858	SP Seeburg, Peter H.	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 191
77	1,870	WD Weigel, Detlef	Max Planck Campus Tübingen	Developmental Biology	Rank 120
78	1,926	KP Krammer, Peter H.	German Cancer Research Center	Immunology	Rank 76
79	1,936	SR Schlögl, Robert	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Physical Chemistry	Rank 8
80	1,937	HP Hänggi, Peter	Universität Augsburg	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 15
81	1,965	HJ Hoeijmakers, J. H.J.	Uniklinik Köln	Developmental Biology	Rank 127
82	1,971	HR Huber, Robert	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 101
83	1,973	GD Guldi, Dirk M.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 58
84	2,007	MP Malfertheiner, Peter	Klinikum der Universität München	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 33
85	2,012	HG Heusch, G.	Universitätsklinikum Essen	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 108
86	2,043	HA Hirsch, Andreas	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 60
87	2,051	TT Ternes, Thomas	Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde	Environmental Sciences	Rank 5
88	2,084	HC Haass, Christian	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 206
89	2,091	GG Gigerenzer, Gerd	Max Planck Institute for Human Development	Experimental Psychology	Rank 33
90	2,137	FU Frith, Uta	written with their son Alex Frith and illustrated by Daniel Locke	Experimental Psychology	Rank 35
91	2,154	LF Luft, Friedrich C.	Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 110
92	2,175	VM von Mutius, Erika	Klinikum der Universität München	Allergy	Rank 8
93	2,193	CJ Cirac, J. Ignacio	Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics	General Physics	Rank 18
94	2,206	KY Kuzyakov, Yakov	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 6
95	2,211	HB Hommel, Bernhard	Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus	Experimental Psychology	Rank 36
96	2,244	CM Cardona, M.	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Applied Physics	Rank 81
97	2,276	GF Glorius, Frank	Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster	Organic Chemistry	Rank 66
98	2,293	BI Baldwin, Ian T.	Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 14
99	2,298	PH Pörtner, Hans Otto	Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung	Physiology	Rank 5
100	2,320	TT Tscharntke, Teja	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Ecology	Rank 45
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2022

United States78,907 scientistsin 2022

United Kingdom17,986 scientistsin 2022

Canada8,473 scientistsin 2022

China7,693 scientistsin 2022

Japan7,630 scientistsin 2022

Australia6,623 scientistsin 2022

Explore other countries

Career-long list2022

France6,284 scientistsin 2022

Netherlands4,063 scientistsin 2022

Switzerland3,141 scientistsin 2022

Belgium1,769 scientistsin 2022

Austria1,246 scientistsin 2022

Luxembourg46 scientistsin 2022

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Germany are in the 2022 Stanford Top 2% list?

9,961 scientists affiliated with Germany are on the 2022 single-year list, and 10,562 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2022 career-long list, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München has the most listed scientists from Germany, with 237. It is followed by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin with 194.

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 10,562 in 2022, a change of +20.1%.

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.