New Zealand's Top 2% Scientists 2021: Career-Long List
New Zealand has 974 scientists on the 2021 career-long Top 2% list, up 21.3% from 803 in 2020. That places New Zealand 24th in the world by number of listed scientists. The University of Auckland has the most listed scientists (222), followed by University of Otago (103).
Scientists in New Zealand on the list, by year
The career-long count has grown 21% since 2020.
Show the numbers
| Year | Single Year | Change | Career Data | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 756 | 803 | ||
| 2021 | 901 | +19.2% | 974 | +21.3% |
| 2022 | 905 | +0.4% | 1,029 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 932 | +3.0% | 1,076 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 947 | +1.6% | 1,132 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 954 | +0.7% | 1,167 | +3.1% |
Top 10 institutes in New Zealand
By number of listed scientists
Show the list
All 974 scientists
| Rank in New Zealand | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,022 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 59 | |
| 2 | 1,032 | Auckland City Hospital | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 59 | |
| 3 | 1,082 |
RI
|
The University of Auckland | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 34 |
| 4 | 1,198 | University of Otago | Mycology & Parasitology | Rank 2 | |
| 5 | 1,452 | Massey University | Biotechnology | Rank 2 | |
| 6 | 1,632 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Developmental & Child Psychology | Rank 20 | |
| 7 | 1,836 | Massey University Auckland | Ecology | Rank 31 | |
| 8 | 2,769 | University of Otago | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 24 | |
| 9 | 2,941 | University of Canterbury | Sport, Leisure & Tourism | Rank 1 | |
| 10 | 3,671 |
ND
|
The University of Auckland | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 23 |
| 11 | 3,942 | Lincoln University | Ecology | Rank 77 | |
| 12 | 4,766 | Springer Nature | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 36 | |
| 13 | 4,817 | Auckland University of Technology | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 440 | |
| 14 | 4,849 |
LP
|
School of Biomedical Sciences | Materials | Rank 57 |
| 15 | 4,966 | School of Biomedical Sciences | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 153 | |
| 16 | 5,127 | Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre | Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry | Rank 14 | |
| 17 | 5,163 |
VM
|
Victoria University of Wellington | Nuclear & Particle Physics | Rank 81 |
| 18 | 5,198 | The University of Auckland | Gender Studies | Rank 1 | |
| 19 | 5,563 | The University of Auckland | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 178 | |
| 20 | 6,935 | Victoria University of Wellington | Respiratory System | Rank 68 | |
| 21 | 7,214 | Springer Nature | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 51 | |
| 22 | 7,704 | The University of Auckland | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 680 | |
| 23 | 7,750 | Massey University | Food Science | Rank 20 | |
| 24 | 7,893 | The University of Auckland | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 119 | |
| 25 | 8,109 |
WT
|
Victoria University of Wellington | Criminology | Rank 8 |
| 26 | 8,298 |
GE
|
Auckland City Hospital | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Rank 134 |
| 27 | 8,488 |
MJ
|
University of Otago | Experimental Psychology | Rank 129 |
| 28 | 8,687 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 427 | |
| 29 | 8,983 | The University of Auckland | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 417 | |
| 30 | 9,201 | The University of Auckland | Experimental Psychology | Rank 143 | |
| 31 | 10,136 | The University of Auckland | Statistics & Probability | Rank 45 | |
| 32 | 10,207 | Adis | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 71 | |
| 33 | 10,405 | University of Canterbury | Psychiatry | Rank 288 | |
| 34 | 11,264 | Victoria University of Wellington | Biophysics | Rank 22 | |
| 35 | 11,323 |
CC
|
Liggins Institute | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 156 |
| 36 | 11,484 | School of Biological Sciences | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 593 | |
| 37 | 11,701 |
WD
|
The University of Auckland | General Physics | Rank 71 |
| 38 | 11,894 | Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 40 | |
| 39 | 12,057 |
RC
|
The University of Waikato | Sport, Leisure & Tourism | Rank 9 |
| 40 | 12,085 | University of Otago | Ecology | Rank 216 | |
| 41 | 12,299 | The University of Auckland | Pediatrics | Rank 40 | |
| 42 | 13,124 | Wolters Kluwer Health - Adis | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 99 | |
| 43 | 13,253 | University of Otago | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 1,122 | |
| 44 | 13,344 | The University of Auckland | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 184 | |
| 45 | 13,633 | University of Otago | Microbiology | Rank 316 | |
| 46 | 13,665 | Massey University Auckland | Chemical Physics | Rank 344 | |
| 47 | 13,685 | GNS Science | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 195 | |
| 48 | 13,737 | University of Otago | Marine Biology & Hydrobiology | Rank 68 | |
| 49 | 13,843 | Landcare Research, Palmerston North | Plant Biology & Botany | Rank 131 | |
| 50 | 15,141 | Adis | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 115 | |
| 51 | 15,873 | The University of Auckland | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 122 | |
| 52 | 15,911 | Faculty of Dentistry | Dentistry | Rank 59 | |
| 53 | 16,251 | Otago Medical School | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 436 | |
| 54 | 16,594 |
BR
|
The University of Auckland | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 212 |
| 55 | 16,913 | AgResearch Grasslands Research Centre | Microbiology | Rank 401 | |
| 56 | 17,449 | The University of Waikato | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 303 | |
| 57 | 17,646 |
AI
|
The University of Auckland | Respiratory System | Rank 187 |
| 58 | 18,219 |
MJ
|
University of Otago | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 146 |
| 59 | 18,262 |
XX
|
The University of Auckland | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 126 |
| 60 | 18,632 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Immunology | Rank 676 | |
| 61 | 18,714 | Victoria University of Wellington | Languages & Linguistics | Rank 13 | |
| 62 | 19,015 | Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences | Physiology | Rank 78 | |
| 63 | 19,059 | The University of Auckland | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 879 | |
| 64 | 19,221 |
JR
|
The University of Auckland | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 238 |
| 65 | 19,388 | University of Otago | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 161 | |
| 66 | 19,636 | Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 910 | |
| 67 | 19,799 | The University of Auckland | Energy | Rank 179 | |
| 68 | 20,292 | University of Otago | General Physics | Rank 140 | |
| 69 | 20,518 | University of Canterbury | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 227 | |
| 70 | 20,612 | The University of Auckland | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 252 | |
| 71 | 20,980 |
SM
|
University of Canterbury | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 229 |
| 72 | 21,291 | Victoria University of Wellington | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 344 | |
| 73 | 21,326 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Psychiatry | Rank 549 | |
| 74 | 21,356 |
PR
|
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 84 |
| 75 | 21,924 | Victoria University of Wellington | Applied Physics | Rank 532 | |
| 76 | 22,309 | University of California, San Francisco | Developmental Biology | Rank 965 | |
| 77 | 22,350 | University of Otago | Microbiology | Rank 543 | |
| 78 | 22,475 | The University of Auckland | Marine Biology & Hydrobiology | Rank 148 | |
| 79 | 22,745 | The University of Auckland | Social Psychology | Rank 243 | |
| 80 | 22,892 |
GA
|
The University of Auckland | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 592 |
| 81 | 23,502 | The University of Auckland | Energy | Rank 217 | |
| 82 | 23,798 | The University of Auckland | Anesthesiology | Rank 74 | |
| 83 | 23,878 |
ZF
|
The University of Auckland | Food Science | Rank 76 |
| 84 | 23,884 | The University of Auckland | Social Psychology | Rank 254 | |
| 85 | 23,916 |
MP
|
The University of Waikato | Entomology | Rank 31 |
| 86 | 24,387 | The University of Auckland | Numerical & Computational Mathematics | Rank 32 | |
| 87 | 24,686 |
BB
|
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand | Marine Biology & Hydrobiology | Rank 166 |
| 88 | 24,823 | University of Otago, Christchurch | Psychiatry | Rank 618 | |
| 89 | 25,000 | Massey University | Dairy & Animal Science | Rank 37 | |
| 90 | 25,305 | Auckland University of Technology | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 418 | |
| 91 | 25,446 | National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand | Fisheries | Rank 38 | |
| 92 | 25,587 | Victoria University of Wellington | Social Psychology | Rank 271 | |
| 93 | 25,695 | The University of Auckland | Marine Biology & Hydrobiology | Rank 176 | |
| 94 | 25,800 | The University of Waikato | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 104 | |
| 95 | 26,022 |
PD
|
Massey University | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 266 |
| 96 | 26,495 | University of Canterbury | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 107 | |
| 97 | 26,826 | The University of Auckland Business School | Information Systems | Rank 52 | |
| 98 | 27,106 | Wellington Hospital, New Zealand | Pediatrics | Rank 114 | |
| 99 | 27,518 | Liggins Institute | Pediatrics | Rank 116 | |
| 100 | 28,405 | The University of Auckland | Geography | Rank 73 | |
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See all 974 scientists in New Zealand
You are seeing the first 100. 874 more are on the 2021 career-long list.
Countries with a similar count
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from New Zealand are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?
901 scientists affiliated with New Zealand are on the 2021 single-year list, and 974 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in New Zealand has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2021 career-long list, The University of Auckland has the most listed scientists from New Zealand, with 222. It is followed by University of Otago with 103.
How has the number of Top 2% scientists in New Zealand changed since 2020?
On the career-long list, New Zealand went from 803 scientists in 2020 to 974 in 2021, a change of +21.3%.
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.