Singapore's Top 2% Scientists 2021
Singapore has 1,130 scientists on the 2021 single-year Top 2% list, up 16.7% from 968 in 2020. That places Singapore 25th in the world by number of listed scientists, down 2 places. National University of Singapore has the most listed scientists (379), followed by Nanyang Technological University (112).
Scientists in Singapore on the list, by year
The single-year count has grown 17% since 2020.
Show the numbers
| Year | Single Year | Change | Career Data | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 968 | 757 | ||
| 2021 | 1,130 | +16.7% | 876 | +15.7% |
| 2022 | 1,188 | +5.1% | 934 | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 1,222 | +2.9% | 956 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 1,259 | +3.0% | 1,023 | +7.0% |
| 2025 | 1,362 | +8.2% | 1,090 | +6.5% |
Top 10 institutes in Singapore
By number of listed scientists
Show the list
- 1National University of Singapore379
- 2Nanyang Technological University112
- 3Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine49
- 4School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences38
- 5School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering31
- 6Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore29
- 7School of Civil and Environmental Engineering29
- 8Singapore University of Technology and Design27
- 9School of Computer Science and Engineering26
- 10School of Materials Science and Engineering26
All 1,130 scientists
| Rank in Singapore | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 4 | |
| 2 | 102 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 2 | |
| 3 | 353 | Nanyang Technological University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 20 | |
| 4 | 441 | Asian School of the Environment | Ecology | Rank 13 | |
| 5 | 492 | National University of Singapore | Energy | Rank 12 | |
| 6 | 534 | National University of Singapore | Biomedical Engineering | Rank 2 | |
| 7 | 548 | Nanyang Technological University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 30 | |
| 8 | 715 | Singapore Eye Research Institute | Ophthalmology & Optometry | Rank 3 | |
| 9 | 779 | School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 29 | |
| 10 | 780 | National University of Singapore | Applied Physics | Rank 26 | |
| 11 | 841 |
ZR
|
National University of Singapore | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 4 |
| 12 | 1,093 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 39 | |
| 13 | 1,130 |
LY
|
Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute | Biotechnology | Rank 3 |
| 14 | 1,141 |
GH
|
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 16 |
| 15 | 1,276 | National University of Singapore | Chemical Engineering | Rank 8 | |
| 16 | 1,303 | Nanyang Technological University | Materials | Rank 29 | |
| 17 | 1,432 | Singapore Management University | Business & Management | Rank 35 | |
| 18 | 1,708 | Nanyang Technological University | Environmental Engineering | Rank 9 | |
| 19 | 2,129 | INSEAD, Singapore | Business & Management | Rank 46 | |
| 20 | 2,416 | Ngee Ann Polytechnic | Biomedical Engineering | Rank 13 | |
| 21 | 2,644 | Nanyang Technological University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 98 | |
| 22 | 2,666 |
XL
|
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 25 |
| 23 | 2,827 | A-Star, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 54 | |
| 24 | 2,917 | A-Star, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Rank 116 | |
| 25 | 2,981 | National University of Singapore | Applied Physics | Rank 77 | |
| 26 | 3,065 |
LB
|
School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 94 |
| 27 | 3,093 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 95 | |
| 28 | 3,189 | National University of Singapore | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 34 | |
| 29 | 3,337 |
PK
|
School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 105 |
| 30 | 3,420 |
HT
|
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 110 |
| 31 | 3,489 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 112 | |
| 32 | 3,551 |
ZY
|
School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 113 |
| 33 | 3,601 | Nanyang Technological University | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 114 | |
| 34 | 4,025 | A-Star, Singapore Immunology Network | Immunology | Rank 105 | |
| 35 | 4,467 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 72 | |
| 36 | 5,158 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 147 | |
| 37 | 5,168 | Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 166 | |
| 38 | 5,189 | School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 149 | |
| 39 | 5,307 | A-Star, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 152 | |
| 40 | 5,346 | National University of Singapore | Geological & Geomatics Engineering | Rank 46 | |
| 41 | 5,347 | National University of Singapore | Social Sciences Methods | Rank 17 | |
| 42 | 5,540 | National Heart Centre, Singapore | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 180 | |
| 43 | 5,583 |
AS
|
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Civil Engineering | Rank 22 |
| 44 | 6,292 | Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 229 | |
| 45 | 6,294 | Nanyang Technological University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 175 | |
| 46 | 6,846 |
LB
|
National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 188 |
| 47 | 6,865 | National University of Singapore | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 47 | |
| 48 | 6,934 | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Geological & Geomatics Engineering | Rank 57 | |
| 49 | 7,382 | Nanyang Technological University | Economics | Rank 133 | |
| 50 | 7,392 | Singapore University of Technology and Design | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 77 | |
| 51 | 7,711 | A-Star, Singapore Immunology Network | Immunology | Rank 204 | |
| 52 | 7,769 | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information | Communication & Media Studies | Rank 21 | |
| 53 | 7,898 | Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute | Environmental Engineering | Rank 44 | |
| 54 | 7,946 | School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 81 | |
| 55 | 8,451 | Nanyang Business School | Sport, Leisure & Tourism | Rank 32 | |
| 56 | 8,834 | Singapore Management University | Business & Management | Rank 208 | |
| 57 | 8,884 |
XJ
|
National University of Singapore | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 89 |
| 58 | 8,961 | National University of Singapore | Materials | Rank 155 | |
| 59 | 9,012 | National University of Singapore | Chemical Engineering | Rank 47 | |
| 60 | 9,068 | National University of Singapore | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 200 | |
| 61 | 9,078 | National University of Singapore | Energy | Rank 182 | |
| 62 | 9,736 | Singapore Eye Research Institute | Ophthalmology & Optometry | Rank 32 | |
| 63 | 10,099 | National University of Singapore | Organic Chemistry | Rank 148 | |
| 64 | 10,277 |
WJ
|
National University of Singapore | Materials | Rank 169 |
| 65 | 10,798 | National University of Singapore | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 298 | |
| 66 | 11,152 | National University of Singapore | Geography | Rank 50 | |
| 67 | 11,249 |
EG
|
National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 281 |
| 68 | 11,645 | National University of Singapore | Ecology | Rank 293 | |
| 69 | 11,996 | School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences | Organic Chemistry | Rank 175 | |
| 70 | 12,165 |
PD
|
Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute | Respiratory System | Rank 82 |
| 71 | 12,215 | School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences | Developmental Biology | Rank 426 | |
| 72 | 12,252 |
NA
|
National University of Singapore | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 124 |
| 73 | 12,273 | National University of Singapore | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 330 | |
| 74 | 12,293 |
HW
|
A-Star, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Rank 430 |
| 75 | 12,437 | National University of Singapore | Energy | Rank 253 | |
| 76 | 12,573 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 312 | |
| 77 | 12,772 | NUS Business School | Social Psychology | Rank 230 | |
| 78 | 13,134 |
SC
|
National University of Singapore | Applied Mathematics | Rank 42 |
| 79 | 13,212 | NUS Business School | Marketing | Rank 72 | |
| 80 | 13,250 |
LZ
|
School of Materials Science and Engineering | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 327 |
| 81 | 13,473 | National University of Singapore | Chemical Engineering | Rank 76 | |
| 82 | 13,510 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Immunology | Rank 347 | |
| 83 | 13,631 |
HR
|
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Toxicology | Rank 60 |
| 84 | 13,884 | INSEAD, Singapore | Business & Management | Rank 335 | |
| 85 | 14,054 |
RD
|
Singapore University of Technology and Design | Design Practice & Management | Rank 9 |
| 86 | 14,099 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 353 | |
| 87 | 14,238 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 523 | |
| 88 | 14,285 | National University of Singapore | Geography | Rank 74 | |
| 89 | 14,304 | National University of Singapore | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 100 | |
| 90 | 14,350 |
CJ
|
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Geological & Geomatics Engineering | Rank 116 |
| 91 | 14,536 | National University of Singapore | Organic Chemistry | Rank 204 | |
| 92 | 14,643 | School of Computer Science and Engineering | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 103 | |
| 93 | 14,969 | INSEAD, Singapore | Business & Management | Rank 363 | |
| 94 | 15,294 |
CJ
|
Nanyang Technological University | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 197 |
| 95 | 15,323 | Nanyang Technological University | Microbiology | Rank 338 | |
| 96 | 15,361 | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Logistics & Transportation | Rank 38 | |
| 97 | 15,631 | National University of Singapore | Energy | Rank 311 | |
| 98 | 15,658 | Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 106 | |
| 99 | 15,780 |
ZK
|
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 153 |
| 100 | 15,902 | National University of Singapore | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 405 | |
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See all 1,130 scientists in Singapore
You are seeing the first 100. 1,030 more are on the 2021 single-year list.
Countries with a similar count
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from Singapore are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?
1,130 scientists affiliated with Singapore are on the 2021 single-year list, and 876 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in Singapore has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2021 single-year list, National University of Singapore has the most listed scientists from Singapore, with 379. It is followed by Nanyang Technological University with 112.
How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Singapore changed since 2020?
On the single-year list, Singapore went from 968 scientists in 2020 to 1,130 in 2021, a change of +16.7%.
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.