Germany's Top 2% Scientists 2024: Career-Long List

Germany has 11,573 scientists on the 2024 career-long Top 2% list, up 5.3% from 10,990 in 2023. That places Germany 3rd in the world by number of listed scientists. Technische Universität München has the most listed scientists (384), followed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (268).

Single Year

10,422

+334 (+3.3%) vs 2023

Career Data

11,573

+583 (+5.3%) vs 2023

World rank by count

No change vs 2023

Institutes

1,364

+62 (+4.8%) vs 2023

Scientists in Germany on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 32% 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 list2024

Show the list

All 11,573 scientists

Career-long list2024

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	27	GS Grimme, Stefan	Universität Bonn	Chemical Physics	Rank 2
2	45	SG Sheldrick, George M.	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 1
3	131	MM Mann, Matthias	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 11
4	143	SH Sies, Helmut	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 5
5	155	NF Neese, Frank	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Chemical Physics	Rank 5
6	220	BP Bork, Peer	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 16
7	257	van der Aalst, Wil M.P.	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 8
8	310	AL Ackermann, Lutz	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 6
9	322	BP Blöchl, Peter E.	Technische Universität Clausthal	Applied Physics	Rank 15
10	388	FA Fürstner, Alois	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 8
11	397	SV Springel, Volker	Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 1
12	411	RM Reetz, Manfred T.	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 9
13	434	MJ Maier, Joachim	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Energy	Rank 7
14	439	AM Antonietti, Markus	Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 15
15	473	BH Brenner, Hermann	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 20
16	489	SA Stamatakis, Alexandros	Karlsruher Institut für Technologie	Bioinformatics	Rank 3
17	511	CP Crutzen, P. J.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 3
18	526	BK Binder, K.	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 5
19	554	WH Wittchen, Hans Ulrich	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 20
20	620	JJ Jonas, Jost Bruno	Universität Heidelberg	Ophthalmology & Optometry	Rank 3
21	635	HW Herrmann, Wolfgang A.	Technische Universität München	Organic Chemistry	Rank 17
22	657	RD Raabe, Dierk	Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials	Materials	Rank 9
23	703	NM Neurath, Markus F.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 11
24	711	DH Diener, Hans Christoph	Universität Duisburg-Essen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 67
25	716	HS Hell, Stefan W.	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Optics	Rank 4
26	735	HA Hashmi, A. Stephen K.	Universität Heidelberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 22
27	739	Schubert, Ulrich S.	Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena	Polymers	Rank 5
28	749	SW Singer, Wolf	Ernst Strüngmann Institut gGmbH	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 75
29	758	HF Holsboer, Florian	Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry	Psychiatry	Rank 27
30	776	FA Friederici, Angela D.	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences	Experimental Psychology	Rank 13
31	795	AM Andreae, Meinrat O.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 4
32	844	HF Hartl, F. Ulrich	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 51
33	856	PM Pfaffl, Michael W.	Technische Universität München	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 1
34	887	LW Löscher, Wolfgang	Hannover Medical School	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 90
35	913	WF Würthner, Frank	Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 27
36	982	BH Braak, Heiko	Universität Ulm	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 99
37	990	SB Schölkopf, Bernhard	Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 30
38	1,007	LB List, Benjamin	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 29
39	1,022	MK Müllen, Klaus	Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 30
40	1,029	JC Janiak, Christoph	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 8
41	1,033	RP Russell, Philip St J.	Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light	Optics	Rank 7
42	1,086	BC Brabec, Christoph J.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 34
43	1,113	KY Kuzyakov, Yakov	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 3
44	1,136	ZH zur Hausen, Harald	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 47
45	1,163	EG Ertl, Gerhard	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Chemical Physics	Rank 36
46	1,223	SK Simons, Kai	Lipotype GmbH	Developmental Biology	Rank 80
47	1,226	NE Neher, Erwin	Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 120
48	1,254	MM Manns, Michael P.	Hannover Medical School	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 20
49	1,284	CR Conrad, Ralf	Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 22
50	1,286	SF Schüth, Ferdi	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 37
51	1,291	GP Grassberger, Peter	Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 12
52	1,316	BM Beller, Matthias	Leibniz Institute for Catalysis	Organic Chemistry	Rank 40
53	1,372	PS Parkin, Stuart S.P.	Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics	Applied Physics	Rank 53
54	1,383	BJ Bousquet, Jean	Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin	Allergy	Rank 4
55	1,475	BP Baeuerle, Patrick A.	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Immunology	Rank 56
56	1,500	KW Kabsch, Wolfgang	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 76
57	1,505	FS Fulda, S.	Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin Universitätsklinikum	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 65
58	1,550	SR Schlögl, Robert	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Physical Chemistry	Rank 8
59	1,569	WF Watt, Fiona M.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 97
60	1,577	RM Rillig, Matthias C.	Freie Universität Berlin	Ecology	Rank 31
61	1,581	HA Henglein, Arnim	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)	Chemical Physics	Rank 49
62	1,624	BC Bolm, Carsten	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 46
63	1,653	WO Wolfbeis, Otto S.	Universität Regensburg	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 5
64	1,679	PB Persson, Bo N.J.	Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH	Chemical Physics	Rank 54
65	1,689	DS Dimmeler, Stefanie	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 97
66	1,702	PS Pääbo, Svante	Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie	Developmental Biology	Rank 106
67	1,766	SD Svergun, Dmitri I.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 81
68	1,780	RB Rost, Burkhard	Technische Universität München	Bioinformatics	Rank 11
69	1,790	HG Heusch, Gerd	Universitätsklinikum Essen	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 98
70	1,801	WH Werner, Hans Joachim	Universität Stuttgart	Chemical Physics	Rank 59
71	1,808	BM Breteler, Monique M.B.	Universität Bonn	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 180
72	1,819	HS Hofmann, Stefan G.	Philipps-Universität Marburg	Clinical Psychology	Rank 10
73	1,895	WR Waser, Rainer	Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH	Applied Physics	Rank 69
74	1,899	WD Weigel, Detlef	Max Planck Campus Tübingen	Developmental Biology	Rank 114
75	1,901	HA Hofmann, Albrecht W.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 13
76	1,913	ZS Zeuzem, Stefan	Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 29
77	1,930	MP Malfertheiner, Peter	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 31
78	1,953	RK Rajewsky, Klaus	Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres	Immunology	Rank 73
79	1,961	TT Tscharntke, Teja	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Ecology	Rank 39
80	1,962	GG Gigerenzer, Gerd	Max Planck Institute for Human Development	Experimental Psychology	Rank 34
81	1,975	BM Blüher, Matthias	Universität Leipzig	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 67
82	1,978	MH Möller, Hans Jürgen	Klinikum der Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 69
83	1,986	GF Glorius, Frank	University of Münster	Organic Chemistry	Rank 54
84	2,003	RE Ritz, Eberhard	Universität Heidelberg	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 16
85	2,032	NM Nauck, Michael A.	St. Josef-Hospital im Katholischen Klinikum Bochum	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 72
86	2,045	PH Pörtner, Hans Otto	Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung	Physiology	Rank 5
87	2,057	SG Schett, Georg	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 15
88	2,074	HP Hänggi, Peter	Universität Augsburg	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 16
89	2,081	TT Ternes, Thomas A.	Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde	Environmental Sciences	Rank 7
90	2,124	BA Boccaccini, Aldo R.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Materials	Rank 29
91	2,134	RW Risau, Werner	Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research - W. G. Kerckhoff Institute	Developmental Biology	Rank 130
92	2,173	HA Hirsch, Andreas	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 60
93	2,177	AR Amann, Rudolf I.	Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 34
94	2,178	FP Fratzl, Peter	Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung	Materials	Rank 31
95	2,182	CJ Cirac, J. Ignacio	Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics	General Physics	Rank 14
96	2,205	HC Haass, Christian	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 206
97	2,209	HJ Hoeijmakers, J. H.J.	Universität zu Köln	Developmental Biology	Rank 135
98	2,232	BN Birbaumer, Niels	Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 208
99	2,273	GD Guldi, Dirk M.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 62
100	2,329	BI Baldwin, Ian T.	Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 15
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2024

United States84,209 scientistsin 2024

United Kingdom19,646 scientistsin 2024

China10,689 scientistsin 2024

Canada9,265 scientistsin 2024

Japan8,261 scientistsin 2024

Australia7,447 scientistsin 2024

Explore other countries

Career-long list2024

France6,921 scientistsin 2024

Netherlands4,515 scientistsin 2024

Switzerland3,431 scientistsin 2024

Belgium1,997 scientistsin 2024

Austria1,403 scientistsin 2024

Luxembourg53 scientistsin 2024

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Germany are in the 2024 Stanford Top 2% list?

10,422 scientists affiliated with Germany are on the 2024 single-year list, and 11,573 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2024 career-long list, Technische Universität München has the most listed scientists from Germany, with 384. It is followed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München with 268.

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 11,573 in 2024, a change of +31.6%.

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.