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Country

Science in Italy

Italy ranks #6 of 192 countries on research quality in 2022–2025 (#8 all time), with 479k research works and 21.9% of them in the world's top 10%.

World rank, 2022–2025
#6
of 192 · #8 all time
Works, 2022–2025
479k
▲ 22% vs 2013–17
Top-10% rate
21.9%
record average 16.5%
In the world top 100
0
36 in the top 1,000
Open access
43%
world 63%

What is Italy strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022–2025, Italy ranks highest in Medicine (#4 of 155), Business, Management and Accounting (#3 of 113) and Economics, Econometrics and Finance (#5 of 110). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Industrial relations, General Arts and Humanities and Space and Planetary Science.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
MedicineField #4 of 155 21.6%129,099 Institutions
Business, Management and AccountingField #3 of 113 33.6%11,727 Institutions
Economics, Econometrics and FinanceField #5 of 110 26.7%11,006 Institutions
SurgerySubfield #4 of 88 21.0%16,886 Institutions
Health ProfessionsField #5 of 108 23.5%8,135 Institutions
Economics and EconometricsSubfield #5 of 101 27.8%8,100 Institutions
EpidemiologySubfield #4 of 79 22.0%8,385 Institutions
Political Science and International RelationsSubfield #5 of 97 24.3%5,530 Institutions
Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineSubfield #4 of 74 19.0%12,143 Institutions
Food ScienceSubfield #4 of 73 27.5%3,305 Institutions
Cardiology and Cardiovascular MedicineSubfield #4 of 72 18.6%9,999 Institutions
Environmental ScienceField #7 of 125 24.1%22,781 Institutions

Where its research is concentrated

Location quotient: how much more — or less — of each node it does than its size predicts. Drawn around 1×, where “twice the world share” and “half of it” are the same distance apart in opposite directions. A volume reading, which on a country axis is largely population and industrial structure.

  1. Industrial relationsSubfield · 327.1 works22×
  2. General Arts and HumanitiesSubfield · 1,160.1 works12×
  3. Space and Planetary ScienceSubfield · 410.7 works4.3×
  4. ClassicsSubfield · 821.0 works2.9×
  5. Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsSubfield · 4,204.0 works2.8×
  6. ArcheologySubfield · 3,661.4 works2.5×
  7. ArchitectureSubfield · 460.8 works2.5×
  8. Earth-Surface ProcessesSubfield · 1,251.4 works2.2×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

The whole field profile

All 26 fields at once. A specialist and a generalist produce the same ranked list and a completely different shape.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.77× its world share, 17k worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1.13× its world share, 29k worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 1.10× its world share, 5,318 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.40× its world share, 11k worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.69× its world share, 1,168 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.92× its world share, 1,543 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.76× its world share, 5,730 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.81× its world share, 30k worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.33× its world share, 9,958 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.67× its world share, 2,937 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.94× its world share, 67k worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.96× its world share, 23k worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.64× its world share, 11k worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 1.27× its world share, 7,162 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 1.69× its world share, 18k worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 1.12× its world share, 2,604 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.64× its world share, 8,135 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 1.40× its world share, 129k worksMedicineNursing: 0.88× its world share, 2,055 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.40× its world share, 912 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.38× its world share, 19k worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.76× its world share, 12k worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.83× its world share, 3,827 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.07× its world share, 11k worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.94× its world share, 14k worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.60× its world share, 37k worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 1.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

Which keywords describe research in Italy?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Epidemiology, Climate Change, Cultural Heritage, Inflammation, Sustainability, Treatment, Machine Learning and Deep Learning.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this country's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Epidemiology23k▲ 1.23×140 topics
  2. Climate Change14k◆ 1.09×132 topics
  3. Deep Learning13k▼ 0.78×85 topics
  4. Machine Learning13k▼ 0.82×97 topics
  5. Inflammation12k▲ 1.25×83 topics
  6. Sustainability12k◆ 1.01×140 topics
  7. Treatment8,770▲ 1.51×52 topics
  8. Oxidative Stress8,625◆ 1.10×63 topics
  9. Quality of Life8,097▲ 1.17×61 topics
  10. Environmental Impact8,014◆ 0.98×74 topics
  11. Globalization7,716▼ 0.82×186 topics
  12. Cultural Heritage7,519▲ 2.9×40 topics
  13. Diagnosis6,931▲ 1.56×41 topics
  14. Cancer6,888◆ 1.07×59 topics
  15. Cardiovascular Disease6,854▲ 1.29×39 topics
  16. Remote Sensing6,263◆ 1.06×42 topics
  17. Immunotherapy5,696▲ 1.67×19 topics
  18. Chemotherapy5,640▲ 1.68×25 topics
  19. Risk Factors5,502◆ 1.05×37 topics
  20. Neural Networks5,484▼ 0.74×42 topics
  21. Public Health5,369▼ 0.77×77 topics
  22. Innovation5,332◆ 1.06×89 topics
  23. Genetics5,127▲ 1.53×27 topics
  24. Metabolic Syndrome5,081▲ 1.30×24 topics
  25. Management4,993▲ 1.33×40 topics
  26. Clinical Trials4,721▲ 1.47×19 topics
  27. Identity4,697▲ 1.35×80 topics
  28. Neurological Disorders4,564▲ 1.68×20 topics
  29. Obesity4,528▲ 1.25×29 topics
  30. Biomarkers4,497▲ 1.37×18 topics
  31. Genetic Mutations4,400▲ 2.1×23 topics
  32. Clinical Practice Guidelines4,280▲ 1.64×14 topics
  33. Prognostic Factors3,904▲ 1.87×14 topics
  34. Heart Failure3,899▲ 1.89×14 topics
  35. Guidelines3,779▲ 1.69×13 topics
  36. Complications3,645▲ 1.52×17 topics
  37. Literature3,601▲ 1.39×63 topics
  38. Echocardiography3,096▲ 2.4×8 topics
  39. Urban Planning1,795▲ 4.6×15 topics
  40. Italy1,551▲ 13×2 topics

How many world-class institutions does Italy hold?

Average quality and elite capacity disagree by construction, and both are worth knowing: the first is decided by a country’s whole institution population, the second counts the institutions it holds at the top. One square per institution.

101st to 500th15501st to 1,000th21

Bands are exclusive, so the squares add up to 36 — the institutions it holds in the world top 1,000 — and not to four times it.

Which universities in Italy lead research?

Sapienza University of Rome, University of Bologna and University of Padua rank highest in Italy on research quality in 2022–2025.

0%10%20%30%mean 23.18%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →Sapienza University of Rome: 23k, 19.1%University of Bologna: 16k, 23.3%University of Padua: 16k, 22.5%University of Milan: 13k, 21.2%Politecnico di Milano: 15k, 21.9%University of Naples Federico II: 12k, 25.1%University of Florence: 11k, 21.5%University of Turin: 9,885, 23.4%Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico: 7,631, 24.3%National Research Council: 5,503, 27.0%University of Pisa: 9,433, 22.0%University of Salerno: 6,049, 24.7%University of Bari Aldo Moro: 6,520, 25.4%University of Palermo: 6,718, 23.9%University of Rome Tor Vergata: 6,426, 22.4%University of BolognaUniversity of PaduaUniversity of MilanSapienza University …
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per institution in the list below. The upper left is the interesting corner.

  1. 1Sapienza University of RomeUniversity · Rome · #121 worldwide19.1% top 10% · 23k works
  2. 2University of BolognaUniversity · Bologna · #128 worldwide23.3% top 10% · 16k works
  3. 3University of PaduaUniversity · Padua · #157 worldwide22.5% top 10% · 16k works
  4. 4University of MilanUniversity · Milan · #193 worldwide21.2% top 10% · 13k works
  5. 5Politecnico di MilanoUniversity · Milan · #203 worldwide21.9% top 10% · 15k works
  6. 6University of Naples Federico IIUniversity · Naples · #206 worldwide25.1% top 10% · 12k works
  7. 7University of FlorenceUniversity · Florence · #245 worldwide21.5% top 10% · 11k works
  8. 8University of TurinUniversity · Turin · #322 worldwide23.4% top 10% · 9.9k works
  9. 9Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere ScientificoHospital / health system · Rome · #353 worldwide24.3% top 10% · 7.6k works
  10. 10National Research CouncilNonprofit · Rome · #383 worldwide27.0% top 10% · 5.5k works
  11. 11University of PisaUniversity · Pisa · #386 worldwide22.0% top 10% · 9.4k works
  12. 12University of SalernoUniversity · Fisciano · #451 worldwide24.7% top 10% · 6k works
  13. 13University of Bari Aldo MoroUniversity · Bari · #463 worldwide25.4% top 10% · 6.5k works
  14. 14University of PalermoUniversity · Palermo · #466 worldwide23.9% top 10% · 6.7k works
  15. 15University of Rome Tor VergataUniversity · Rome · #494 worldwide22.4% top 10% · 6.4k works

The track on each row is its top-10% rate; the tick is the world’s rate in this record, 16.5% — teal above it, red below.

All ranked institutions in Italy

Who are the top researchers in Italy?

Giuseppe Remuzzi, Massimo Piepoli and Peter J. Schwartz rank highest among researchers based in Italy.

  1. 1 Giuseppe Remuzzi · #34 worldwide 8.1k citations · 312 works
  2. 2 Massimo Piepoli · #184 worldwide 3.2k citations · 129 works
  3. 3 Peter J. Schwartz · #261 worldwide 3.3k citations · 179 works
  4. 4 Fabio Piscaglia · #276 worldwide 2.2k citations · 151 works
  5. 5 Ettore Beghi · #284 worldwide 4.6k citations · 108 works
  6. 6 LG Mantovani · #392 worldwide 2.3k citations · 127 works
  7. 7 F. Grancagnolo · #437 worldwide 4.5k citations · 151 works
  8. 8 Vincenzo Mazzaferro · #588 worldwide 3k citations · 105 works
  9. 9 Giuseppe Grosso · #746 worldwide 4.2k citations · 97 works
  10. 10 F. Broggi · #749 worldwide 4.1k citations · 107 works
Top researchers in Italy

Which cities in Italy are research hubs?

  1. 1 Rome Italy 440k works
  2. 2 Milan Italy 334k works
  3. 3 Turin Italy 134k works
  4. 4 Bologna Italy 128k works
  5. 5 Naples Italy 118k works
  6. 6 Padova Italy 104k works
  7. 7 Florence Italy 102k works
  8. 8 Pisa Italy 101k works
  9. 9 Genoa Italy 77k works
  10. 10 Bari Italy 62k works
  11. 11 Trieste Italy 60k works
  12. 12 Pavia Italy 56k works

How much of it is in the largest

The same cities as shares of everything these twelve account for.

Rome: 25.6%Milan: 19.5%Turin: 7.8%Bologna: 7.4%8 others listed: 39.7%26%largest
Rome440k · 25.6%Milan334k · 19.5%Turin134k · 7.8%Bologna128k · 7.4%8 others listed681k · 39.7%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

How open and international is Italy's research?

43% of its research is openly available (world: 40%), and 23% is written with international co-authors (world: 18%).

openly available42.8%not open57.2%

World: 63% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors22.8%domestic only77.2%

World: 22% is written across borders.

How has Italy's research grown?

Output in 2018–2022 was 22% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Research fields in Italy