A total of 1,564 researchers successfully completed their Habilitation (a post-doctoral research qualification) at German universities and equivalent higher education institutions in 2024. According to data released Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this figure represents a slight decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the 1,592 Habilitations achieved in the previous year.
The decline was observed in both male and female researchers. The number of Habilitations awarded to men decreased by 0.8 percent, reaching 996, while female Habilitations fell by 3.0 percent to 568.
The proportion of women among those receiving a Habilitation remained relatively stable in 2024, at 36 percent, consistent with the 37 percent recorded the year prior. This figure represents a significant increase from 2014, when the female share stood at 28 percent. Disparities were evident across disciplines; in the field of Law, Economics and Social Sciences, the female share reached 42 percent, contrasting with just 25 percent in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines.
Human Medicine and Health Sciences accounted for the largest number of Habilitations for both men (574) and women (334) in 2024, representing 58 percent of all qualifications awarded. A further 15 percent of Habilitations were awarded in the STEM field and 13 percent in the Humanities.
The average age of those completing a Habilitation in 2024 remained consistent with previous years, at 42. A total of 178 Habilitations were successfully completed by researchers with foreign citizenship, accounting for 11 percent of the total. This represents a slight increase from the 9 percent recorded ten years ago.
