Where Data Tells the Story
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The number of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) PhD graduates from Chinese universities versus U.S. universities, from 2000 to 2022/2023.
Data comes from the U.S. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and China's Ministry of Education via fDI Intelligence.
China is rapidly outpacing the U.S. in producing PhD graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), awarding over 50,000 STEM doctorates in 2022, more than double its 2007 total–when it first overtook the U.S.
While China has steadily expanded public investment in universities and research, the U.S. has seen slower growth, with STEM PhD output rising just 41% over the same period and recent freezes in federal funding for leading institutions.
This growing gap signals a shift in global competitiveness, with major implications for future innovation in fields like AI, semiconductors, and clean tech.