Germany's Top 2% Scientists 2026: Career-Long List

Germany has 12,809 scientists on the 2026 career-long Top 2% list, up 5.3% from 12,166 in 2025. That places Germany 4th in the world by number of listed scientists. Technische Universität München has the most listed scientists (354), followed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (258).

Single Year

10,938

+272 (+2.6%) vs 2025

Career Data

12,809

+643 (+5.3%) vs 2025

World rank by count

No change vs 2025

Institutes

1,774

+66 (+3.9%) vs 2025

Scientists in Germany on the list, by year

The career-long count has grown 46% 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%

2026+5.3%

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%
2026	10,938	+2.6%	12,809	+5.3%

Top 10 institutes in Germany

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2026

Show the list

All 12,809 scientists

Career-long list2026

Showing the 2026 career-long list. Looking for single-year rankings? See the single-year list

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	15	GS Grimme, Stefan	Universität Bonn	Chemical Physics	Rank 1
2	47	SG Sheldrick, George Michael	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 1
3	89	NF Neese, Frank	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Chemical Physics	Rank 3
4	139	SH Sies, Helmult	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 5
5	145	MM Mann, Matthias	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 11
6	199	van der Aalst, Wil M.P.	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 9
7	224	BP Bork, Peer	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 16
8	285	BP Blöchl, Peter E.	Technische Universität Clausthal	Applied Physics	Rank 14
9	294	AL Ackermann, Lutz	Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry	Organic Chemistry	Rank 6
10	337	SV Springel, Volker	Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 1
11	351	DR Dolan, Ray Joseph	Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 38
12	393	RD Raabe, Dierk	Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH	Materials	Rank 6
13	409	FA Fürstner, Alois	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 8
14	442	BH Brenner, Hermann	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 21
15	444	MJ Maier, Joachim	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Energy	Rank 8
16	455	RM Reetz, Manfred T.	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 9
17	468	SA Stamatakis, Alexandros P.	Karlsruher Institut für Technologie	Bioinformatics	Rank 4
18	492	AM Antonietti, Markus	Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 20
19	522	KY KUZYAKOV, Yakov V.	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 2
20	545	CP Crutzen, Paul Jozef	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 3
21	563	NM Neurath, Markus Friedrich	Universitätsklinikum Erlangen	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 10
22	591	WH Wïttchen, Hans Ülrich	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 20
23	606	BK Binder, Kurt	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 5
24	645	LJ Lehmann, Johannes C.	Institute for Advanced Study of Technical University of Munich	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 3
25	647	DH Diener, Hans Christoph W.	Universität Duisburg-Essen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 61
26	746	Schubert, Ulrich S.	Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena	Polymers	Rank 5
27	750	HS Hell, Stefan W.	Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry	Optics	Rank 3
28	769	HW Herrmann, Wolfgang Anton	Technische Universität München	Organic Chemistry	Rank 19
29	784	SB Schölkopf, Bernhard	Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 27
30	801	FA Friederici, Angela D.	Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences	Experimental Psychology	Rank 15
31	802	RM Rillig, Matthias C.	Freie Universität Berlin	Ecology	Rank 21
32	804	KS Kaufmann, Stefan Hugo Ernst	Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology	Immunology	Rank 32
33	805	HA Hashmi, A. Stephen K.	Universität Heidelberg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 22
34	856	WF Würthner, Frank	Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg	Organic Chemistry	Rank 24
35	881	PM Pfaffl, Michael W.	Technische Universität München	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 1
36	885	SW Singer, Wolf J.	Max Planck Institute for Brain Research	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 84
37	895	LW Löscher, Wolfgang	Hannover Medical School	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 87
38	923	HF Holsboer, Florian J.	Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry	Psychiatry	Rank 30
39	952	HF Hartl, Franz Ulrich	Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie	Developmental Biology	Rank 55
40	959	BG Bakris, George L.	Excelya Germany GmbH	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 53
41	1,060	BC Brabec, Christoph J.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 36
42	1,064	JC Janiak, Christoph	Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 6
43	1,065	LB List, Benjamin	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 28
44	1,070	BH Braak, Heiko	Universität Ulm	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 100
45	1,072	MK Müllen, Klaus	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz	Organic Chemistry	Rank 29
46	1,193	SR Schlögl, Robert F.	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Physical Chemistry	Rank 7
47	1,202	RP Russell, Philip St John	Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light	Optics	Rank 5
48	1,229	BM Beller, Matthias	Leibniz Institute for Catalysis	Organic Chemistry	Rank 34
49	1,245	CR Conrad, Ralf	Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology	Microbiology	Rank 20
50	1,336	BM Blüher, Matthias	Universität Leipzig	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 39
51	1,337	PS Parkin, Stuart S.P.	Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics	Applied Physics	Rank 48
52	1,342	EG Ertl, Gerhard	Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society	Chemical Physics	Rank 38
53	1,353	SF Scḧuth, Ferdi Ferdinand	Max Planck Institute for Coal Research	Organic Chemistry	Rank 39
54	1,400	ZH Zur Hausen, Harald	German Cancer Research Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 54
55	1,442	HS Hofmann, Stefan G.	Philipps-Universität Marburg	Clinical Psychology	Rank 7
56	1,475	SK Simons, Kai	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg	Developmental Biology	Rank 89
57	1,485	HG Heusch, Gerd	Universitätsklinikum Essen	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 81
58	1,489	FS Fulda, Simone	Universitätsklinikum Ulm	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 56
59	1,506	NE Neher, Erwin	Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 142
60	1,511	GP Grassberger, Peter	Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 11
61	1,561	MA Macdonald, A. H.	Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research	Applied Physics	Rank 57
62	1,599	SG Schett, Georg Andreas	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 13
63	1,658	GG Gigerenzer, Gerd	Max Planck Institute for Human Development	Experimental Psychology	Rank 28
64	1,697	BA Boccaccini, Aldo R.	Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg	Materials	Rank 26
65	1,715	PH Pörtner, Hans-O. Otto	Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung	Physiology	Rank 2
66	1,732	BC Bolm, Carsten U.	Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen	Organic Chemistry	Rank 48
67	1,741	PB Persson, Bo N.J.	Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH	Chemical Physics	Rank 51
68	1,748	TT Tscharntke, Teja	Georg-August-Universität Göttingen	Ecology	Rank 38
69	1,801	WO Wolfbeis, Otto S.	Universität Regensburg	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 5
70	1,824	BP Baeuerle, Patrick A.	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Immunology	Rank 60
71	1,841	NM Nauck, Michael Albrecht	Universitätsmedizin Greifswald	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 54
72	1,844	PS Pääbo, Svante H.	Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie	Developmental Biology	Rank 108
73	1,848	RD Rueckert, Daniel L.	Klinikum Rechts der Isar	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 55
74	1,859	GF Glorius, Frank	University of Münster	Organic Chemistry	Rank 49
75	1,883	MP Malfertheiner, P.	Klinikum der Universität München	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 30
76	1,889	RB Rost, Burkhard	Technische Universität München	Bioinformatics	Rank 11
77	1,900	WH Werner, Hans Joachim	Universität Stuttgart	Chemical Physics	Rank 56
78	1,914	SD Svergun, Dmitri I.	European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 80
79	1,944	DS Dimmeler, Stefanie	Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung e. V.	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 102
80	1,959	HA Henglein, Arnini	Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)	Chemical Physics	Rank 58
81	1,999	WR Waser, Rainer M.	Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH	Applied Physics	Rank 69
82	2,013	HA Hofmann, Albrecht W.	Max Planck Institute for Chemistry	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 17
83	2,036	WF Weigend, Florian	Karlsruher Institut für Technologie	Chemical Physics	Rank 60
84	2,066	CJ Cirac, J. Ignacio	Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics	General Physics	Rank 13
85	2,067	FP Fratzl, Peter	Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung	Materials	Rank 28
86	2,072	CK Choi, Kyuha	Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen	Developmental Biology	Rank 119
87	2,090	TT Ternes, Thomas A.	Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde	Environmental Sciences	Rank 8
88	2,130	BM Breteler, Monique M.B.	Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 199
89	2,146	Kisi, Ozgur	Universität zu Lübeck	Environmental Engineering	Rank 6
90	2,151	WM Wink, Michael	Universität Heidelberg	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 14
91	2,157	MF Menter, Florian R.	Ansys Germany GmbH	Aerospace & Aeronautics	Rank 1
92	2,160	MH Möller, Hans Jürgen	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München	Psychiatry	Rank 73
93	2,194	ZS Zeuzem, Stefan S.	Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 37
94	2,209	KW Kabsch, Wolfgang	Max Planck Institute for Medical Research	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 91
95	2,213	HP Hänggi, Peter	Universität Augsburg	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 16
96	2,245	ID Ivanov, Dmitry Aleksandrovich	Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin	Operations Research	Rank 5
97	2,289	RK Rajewsky, Klaus	Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine	Immunology	Rank 77
98	2,318	CC Correll, Christophe U.	Einstein Center Population Diversity (ECPD)	Psychiatry	Rank 79
99	2,338	LH Lichtenthaler, Hartmut Karl	Karlsruher Institut für Technologie	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 16
100	2,342	RE Ritz, Eberhardt R.	Universität Heidelberg	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 18
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2026

United States90,922 scientists

United Kingdom21,350 scientists

China14,583 scientists

Canada10,063 scientists

Japan9,097 scientists

Australia8,551 scientists

Explore other countries

Career-long list2026

France7,613 scientists

Netherlands5,001 scientists

Switzerland3,759 scientists

Belgium2,294 scientists

Austria1,566 scientists

Luxembourg74 scientists

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Germany are in the 2026 Stanford Top 2% list?

10,938 scientists affiliated with Germany are on the 2026 single-year list, and 12,809 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2026 career-long list, Technische Universität München has the most listed scientists from Germany, with 354. It is followed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München with 258.

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 12,809 in 2026, a change of +45.7%.

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.