- Fewer young scientists are pursuing doctorates
In Saxony, the number of early-career researchers pursuing a doctorate is declining. Last year, 1,246 men and women successfully obtained their doctoral degree, which was 14.2 percent less than the previous year, as reported by the State Statistical Office. In total, there were around 12,700 people in a doctoral program last year - 6.6 percent less than in 2022. The proportion of women was just under half (48.2 percent), with an average age of 32.7 years. Moreover, over one in five doctoral candidates (22.9 percent) held a foreign citizenship.
When looking at the individual fields of study, human medicine and health sciences dominate with a share of almost a third (31.8 percent). This is followed by engineering sciences (22.5 percent) and mathematics and natural sciences (18.9 percent).
After completing high school, some individuals choose to pursue a doctorate in fields like engineering sciences or mathematics and natural sciences. Despite the decline in the number of early-career researchers, high school graduates still have the opportunity to enroll in a doctoral program in Saxony.
