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United Kingdom vs United States

On research quality in 2022–now, The United States ranks #2 in the world and the United Kingdom #3, of 192 countries. The United Kingdom stands higher in 0 of the 26 fields both publish in, the United States in 26.

United Kingdom

World rank, 2022–now
#3
#3 all time
Works, 2022–now
727k
fractional
Top-10% rate
21.8%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
37%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Classics, Medical Terminology, Space and Planetary Science.

United States

World rank, 2022–now
#2
#1 all time
Works, 2022–now
3.1M
fractional
Top-10% rate
17.5%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
33%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Library and Information Sciences, Transplantation, General Psychology.

Who leads in each field?

United Kingdom stands higher in 0 of 26 fields, United States in 26. Each bar is that side’s standing among all countries ranked in the field: the full bar is first place.

United Kingdom 026 United States
  1. #6Agricultural and Biological Sciences#2
  2. #2Arts and Humanities#1
  3. #3Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#1
  4. #4Business, Management and Accounting#2
  5. #4Chemical Engineering#2
  6. #5Chemistry#2
  7. #4Computer Science#2
  8. #3Decision Sciences#1
  9. #4Dentistry#1
  10. #3Earth and Planetary Sciences#2
  11. #3Economics, Econometrics and Finance#2
  12. #4Energy#2
  13. #4Engineering#2
  14. #4Environmental Science#2
  15. #4Health Professions#1
  16. #3Immunology and Microbiology#1
  17. #4Materials Science#2
  18. #4Mathematics#2
  19. #3Medicine#1
  20. #3Neuroscience#1
  21. #4Nursing#1
  22. #4Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics#1
  23. #4Physics and Astronomy#2
  24. #3Psychology#1
  25. #3Social Sciences#1
  26. #2Veterinary#1

Standing is the percentile of world rank within each field, 2022–now; the printed number is the rank itself. A dash means the field is too small there to rank. How sides are compared.

How has their output grown?

500k1MUnited States805k in 2025United Kingdom190k in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works per year. The latest, partial year is left off.

Which publishes more research, United Kingdom or United States?

The United States publishes 4.2× as much research as the United Kingdom in 2022–now (3.1M against 727k fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, United Kingdom or United States?

21.8% of the United Kingdom's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 17.5% for the United States.

Where does their research happen?

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