In this article, we will look at the number of engineers by country: Top 20. We have also looked at the global engineering service industry and some key engineering companies. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Countries with the Highest Number of Engineers.
The global engineering services industry is set for high growth, with a projected market size of $1.7 trillion in 2023, reflecting a 3.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the past five years. Despite a dip in performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has rebounded, driven by increased demand for technical studies and engineering planning across different sectors. The sector's workforce has also grown by 3.7% to 7 million employees, accompanied by a 3.9% rise in wages to $562.9 billion. Looking ahead to 2029, the industry's positive outlook is fueled by expectations of continued economic growth, particularly in Asia and North America, providing ample opportunities for engineering companies and reinforcing the anticipated market expansion over the next five years.
While North American and Asian countries continue to dominate the engineering industry, The US is believed to be one of the countries with the best engineers in the world. Moreover, in 2021, Jordan was the country with the highest number of engineers per capita.
Owing to the constant need for problem-solving and innovation, engineers tend to have some of the most mentally stimulating jobs. The interdisciplinary nature of engineering demands a broad skill set, requiring them to integrate knowledge from various fields. Engineers are required to analyze, design, and optimize systems, pushing their cognitive abilities. It is also often considered one of the most demanding jobs in the world.
Speaking of the demanding nature of the job, it is worth noting that recently, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s engineers will be required to live and sleep on the production line at the Austin Gigafactory in Central Texas as the company prepares for the intense workload of producing a new electric vehicle model in 2025. During an earnings call, Musk emphasized on the dire need for sacrifices to achieve a challenging production ramp.
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is also set to invest $500 million in building its "Dojo" supercomputer at its Buffalo, New York factory, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. Dojo aims to support the development of self-driving cars by Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) by processing video data from electric vehicles for AI training. Despite Elon Musk calling Dojo a "long shot," the decision was influenced by New York's power supply and available space.
Speaking of investments, another engineering giant, Siemens AG (OTC:SIEGY) is set to invest $150 million in a new electrical equipment production plant in Fort Worth, aiming to power American data centers and drive artificial intelligence. The company plans to manufacture low-voltage switchgear and power units at the facility, creating 700 jobs. The plant is expected to start production in 2024, with full operational capacity by 2025. Fort Worth approved a 10-year tax abatement, saving Siemens AG (OTC:SIEGY) $6 million, while the city anticipates generating $2.6 million in taxes over a decade. This investment is part of Siemens AG (OTC:SIEGY)’s $510 million spending on US projects in 2023, aiming to add 1,700 jobs nationwide.
On the financial end, Siemens AG (OTC:SIEGY) reported a 10% increase in revenue growth for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2023, reaching a record high of 21.4 billion euros ($23.2 billion). However, the German industrial giant anticipates a slowdown in 2024, projecting a sales growth of 4-8% over the next 12 months, a decline from the 11% increase recorded in the 2023 fiscal year. However, Siemens AG (OTC:SIEGY) remains optimistic about fiscal 2024, with its Digital Industries segment expecting comparable revenue development of 0% to 3%, anticipating a pickup in global demand for automation businesses, especially in China, in the latter half of the fiscal year.
Number of engineers by country: Top 20
A engineer overseeing a exposed network of pipelines connected to tanks at an oil refinery.
Our Methodology
To list the number of engineers by country: top 20, we looked at two primary metrics. Firstly, we utilized UNESCO Statistics on the annual number of graduates in engineering/manufacturing/construction for top 10 countries. For the next 10 countries, we utilized UNESCO’s distribution of tertiary graduates by field of study (percentage of graduates in tertiary education in engineering, manufacturing and construction). We utilized these percentages to shortlist the top 10 countries and then ranked them in order of population. The list is presented in an ascending order.
Here is a list of top countries by number of engineers produced.
20. Colombia
In Colombia, two renowned universities for engineering are the National University of Colombia and the Pontifical Javeriana University. The country's most important engineering companies include Grupo Argos and Ecopetrol S.A (NYSE:EC). Grupo Argos is known for leading in infrastructure and energy projects, while Ecopetrol S.A (NYSE:EC) specializes in the oil and gas sector. Civil engineering holds particular prominence in Colombia, given the country’s emphasis on infrastructure development.
19. Spain
Telefónica and Indra are two of the biggest employers of engineers in Spain. The average electrical engineer salary in Spain is $66,801. Spain is also one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.
Spain is one of the top 10 countries for engineering.
18. Italy
Italy is well known for its monumental projects like the record-breaking Messina Strait bridge, which confirms its engineers’ potential to connect regions and transform economies. Engineers in Italy are also known to drive innovation, solve complex challenges, and shape a sustainable future. Italy is one of the European countries pay engineers the highest salaries.
17. South Africa
While South Africa is one of the countries with the most engineers, the Engineering Council of South Africa reports a stark engineer shortage, with one engineer for every 3,100 people, compared to developed countries like Germany with a ratio of 1:200. Municipalities also grapple with a skills crisis, as senior engineers have migrated to the private sector, leaving a void in mentorship programs for new graduates.
16. United Kingdom
A report commissioned by EngineeringUK predicts a 2.8% growth in engineering jobs in the UK by 2030, leading to approximately 173,000 new roles. This growth rate surpasses the projected national average for all occupations, set at 2.3%. The demand for engineers is expected to outpace other professions, indicating a huge need for engineering skills in the country.
The UK is one of the top names when it comes to number of engineers by country in Europe.
15. Germany
Germany is specifically famous for its automotive engineers as Germany's automotive industry is globally renowned for innovation. It hosts the world's second-largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen Group. As of 2021, it ranks sixth in production globally. The Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious engineering universities in the world.
14. Turkey
Like Germany, Turkey is a major player in the global automotive engineering, as their automotive industry ranks 13th with 1,352,648 vehicles produced in 2022. Most important companies under their industry are TEMSA, Otokar, and BMC. Togg.
Middle East Technical University (METU) and Bilkent University are two of the top engineering universities in Turkey.
13. Vietnam
Civil engineering in the engineering that holds the highest importance in Vietnam due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure development. Moreover, Vietnam produces one of the highest number of engineers by country as it has a high literacy rate of over 96%.
12. France
In 2019, France had approximately 10% of university graduates specializing in STEM fields, including sciences, mathematics, and statistics. This places France among the top countries in Europe for STEM graduates. According to UNESCO statistics, France has an annual number of 104,746 graduates in engineering/manufacturing/construction.
11. Mexico
Mexico has an annual number of 113,944 graduates in engineering/manufacturing/construction. The country is among the seven OECD countries with the largest proportion of STEM graduates.
10. Ukraine
Ukraine has 800 higher education institutions, with three universities ranking in the top 100 of the QS Emerging Europe & Central Asia University Rankings 2020. The country produces approximately 130,000 engineering graduates annually, surpassing several other European countries. It leads in IT education, with over 16,000 IT graduates yearly and a total of 200,000 IT professionals with the highest share in Central and Eastern Europe.
9. Indonesia
According to UNESCO statistics, Indonesia has an annual number of140,169 in engineering/manufacturing/construction graduates. Indonesia is also one of the one of the largest economies in Asia.
8. Brazil
In 2018, worldwide, just 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science graduates were women. In Brazil, the figures were even lower, with women accounting for 37% of engineering graduates and 14.6% of computer science graduates. Nevertheless, owing to its high population, Brazil is also one of the countries with the highest number of engineers.
7. India
India maintains a substantial 34% representation of students opting for STEM fields, and its overall production of graduates in this domain is the highest globally. It is one of the countries with the highest STEM graduates.
6. China
In 2016, UNESCO omitted data for China. The World Economic Forum claimed China produced 4.7 million STEM graduates, surpassing India. However, the National Science Foundation noted China's broad classification of engineering and science fields, making data comparisons challenging. In 2014, the US government agency reported 1.6 million Chinese science and engineering graduates, suggesting fewer than in India.
