page_title: Science and technology in Uzbekistan
section_title: Researchers
hierarchical_section_title: Science and technology in Uzbekistan / Research trends / Investment in human capital / Researchers
context_page_description: Science and technology in Uzbekistan examines government efforts to develop a national innovation system and the impact of these policies.
context_section_description: In 2014, Uzbekistan had a population of 33.3 million, compared to 16.6 million for Kazakhstan. The two most populous countries of Central Asia logically count the most researchers: just over 30 000 for Uzbekistan and 17 000 for Kazakhstan (in head counts), compared to a little over 2 000 for each of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This corresponds to a researcher density of 1,097 (per million population in head counts) for Uzbekistan and 1,046 for Kazakhstan (in head counts), compared to a global average of 1,083 (in full-time equivalents).
  Women make up 41% of Uzbek researchers, one of the highest ratios in the world. This is a legacy of the former Soviet Union, which laid great store by education. Four in ten PhDs (42%) are held by women, a figure close to the global average (43%). Women are almost as present in engineering as in science, accounting for 30% of PhDs in scientific disciplines and 27% of those in engineering. In the business sector, four out of ten researchers are women.
  In 2011, three-quarters of Uzbek researchers were employed in higher education and just 6% in the business enterprise sector. With most university researchers nearing retirement, this imbalance imperils Uzbekistan's research future. Almost all holders of a Candidate of Science, Doctor of Science or PhD are more than 40 years old and half are over the age of 60. Nearly one in four researchers (38.4%) holds a PhD, or its equivalent, and the remainder a bachelor's or master's degree.
  Table: Central Asian researchers by field of science and gender, 2013 or closest year
  Source: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015), Table 14.1
caption: Scientific publications from Central Asia catalogued by Thomson Reuters' Web of Science, Science Citation Index Expanded, 2005-2014, UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015), Figure 14.6