Opportunities for graduates with degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is rising, prompting many nations to shore up relevant educational resources to meet the demand of medtech, digital services and other growth industries.

Where are these educational opportunities for STEM students?

Data collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics indicate that tertiary students in Malaysia and Tunisia are among the most likely to graduate in a STEM field, with about 40% receiving a STEM degree. However, with a still high share of 34% of students selecting STEM, India is producing the most graduates in total in the field due to its population of around 1.4 billion people — the largest in the world.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Other countries with a strong showing of STEM graduates include the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belarus and South Korea — all producing more than 30% STEM graduates. The share of STEM degree recipients exceeds 29% in Algeria, Mauretania and Morocco, all due to the prevalence of computer engineering in the region.

With the exception of Germany, Western Europe is not notable for STEM graduate numbers. Only 26% of U.K. graduates complete STEM courses, as do 25% in France and 23% in Spain. In the U.S., only 19.6% of graduates can claim a STEM degree.