International academic staff at the four largest German non-university research institutes since 2013

In 2023, around 17,500 international academics and researchers were employed at the four largest non-university research institutions (NURI) in Germany. The term “international academics and researchers” or “international academic staff” refers to all employed academic staff who are foreign nationals. With the exception of a slight decline in 2014, their numbers rose continuously and significantly between 2013 and 2023 (+94%). Between 2018 and 2023, the increase amounted to 34%, and between 2022 and 2023 alone, it was 5%.

Growth rates vary depending on the research organisation. Between 2018 and 2023, they were highest in the case of theFraunhofer-Gesellschaft (+55%), followed by the Helmholtz Association and the Leibniz Association (both +43%) and the Max Planck Society (+17%). When comparing 2022 and 2023, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft stands out with particularly strong relative growth (+13%), whilst the Max Planck Society stands out with comparatively weak relative growth (+1%).

As a result of the developments outlined, the share of international academics and researchers among all academic staff at the NURI has also risen steadily in recent years. In 2023, it stood at 31%. In the case of the Max Planck Society, the share was by far the highest (just under 54%). At the institutes of the Helmholtz Association, just under 31% of employed researchers were foreign nationals; at the Leibniz Association the figure was 29%, and at the Fraunhofer Society a mere 13%.