site.btaWomen Were Majority in Science and Technology Workforce in Bulgaria and EU in 2022

The share of women among the economically active population (aged 15 to 74) in Bulgaria was higher than that of men in 2022, with North and Southeast Bulgaria (59.79%) dominating the Southwest and the South Central region (57.61%), show the latest data from the European statistical office Eurostat, published Friday on the agency's website.

Almost 76 million people in the European Union (EU) aged 15 to 74 were employed in science and technology (+2.5% compared with 2021). Some 52% of them were women (no change compared with 2021). The women employed in science and technology worked predominantly in services, with the exception of Malta, where only 48% of women worked in services. 

The highest shares of women employed in science and technology in 2022 across the EU region were observed in Lithuania and the French island of Corsica (both 64%), followed by Latvia (63%). At the other end of the scale, the lowest share was recorded in the Northwest Italy (45%), followed by Malta, South and Northeast Italy (all 46%). 

Among the science and technology workforce, one significant subgroup is comprised of scientists and engineers. Scientists and engineers made up nearly a quarter (24%) of all people employed in science and technology in the EU (+3.6% compared with 2021), with the largest number of scientists and engineers across the EU countries employed in Germany (over 3.5 million). 

Despite women making up the majority of the people employed in science and technology, they were underrepresented as scientists and engineers, accounting for only 41% of total scientists and engineers in 2022.