More than a third (34%) of Germans with a tertiary education qualification had a degree in one of the STEM (science, mathematics, and technology) subjects last year, well ahead of the OECD average of 26%, new data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) has found.
Germany has the highest share of STEM degree holders among all OECD countries, however the percentage of those with said degrees varies by region – between 26% in Berlin and 39% in Baden-Württemberg.
While Germany boasts a high number of students entering STEM programmes, a notable gender disparity remains, with just 22% of women entering tertiary education choosing STEM subjects, compared with 52% of men.
Among graduates, just 15% of women with tertiary qualifications held STEM degrees, again compared to 52% of men.
Tertiary qualification
While the percentage of those with STEM degrees measures up favourably to the rest of the world, Germany lags behind in terms of those with an overall tertiary qualification, with 34% of Germans having such a qualification, compared to the OECD average of 41%.
Younger age cohorts were more likely to have completed higher education, the data showed, with two fifths (40%) of 25- to 34-year-olds holding a tertiary qualification, compared to 29% of 55- to 64-year-olds.
There were also gender differences visible among the different age cohorts – among 55- to 64-year-olds, the percentage of women with a tertiary qualification stood at 24%, 10 percentage points lower than that of men (34%). In the 25- to 34-year-old age group, however, the proportion of women was 42%, compared to 37% for men.
International students
Germany remains a popular destination for international students, with the share of such students rising from 8% in 2016 to 13% in 2023, compared with an OECD average of 8%.
Berlin recorded the highest proportion of international students at 21%, followed by Brandenburg at 19%, while the lowest shares were reported in Schleswig-Holstein (6%) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (7%).
Some 68% of international students studying in Germany came from non-OECD countries, with India leading the way (10%), followed by China (8%). Austrian and Turkish students were the most frequently represented from OECD countries, with 4% each. Read more here.
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