10 Countries With Most Scientists per Capita in the World

4. Belgium

Scientists per 1000 employed: 15.3  

Belgium excels in biotechnology and has a world-leading nanotechnology research center, the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre in Leuven. The country also has the world’s highest number of clinical trials per capita, attributed to its strong research capacity and efficient approval processes for Phase I trials compared to other European nations. Prominent Belgian pharmaceutical and biotech companies include Janssen (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), UCB, Galapagos, and Ablynx, contributing significantly to the country’s innovative ecosystem. Belgium is home to renowned research institutions like the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), which have generated numerous spin-off companies and attracted significant investment in their respective regions.