International: China has once again retained its position as the world`s leading country in high-quality scientific research, according to the Nature Index 2026 Research Leaders Ranking released on Wednesday.

The latest ranking shows that China`s research output increased by 22.4 percent between 2024 and 2025. Among the world`s top 10 countries, China was the only nation to record double-digit growth during the period.

The United States ranked second, followed by Germany in third place.

Of the seven major research disciplines covered by the Nature Index, China secured the top position in five fields — physical sciences, chemistry, biological sciences, applied sciences, and Earth and environmental sciences. The United States led in the remaining two categories: health sciences and social sciences.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) maintained its status as the world`s leading research institution. It ranked first in all research areas except health sciences and social sciences.

This year, nine Chinese institutions were included among the world`s top 10 research organizations, up from eight in the previous edition of the index.

The Nature Index measures high-quality research output based on papers published in leading international scientific journals. The scope of the index has been further expanded this year, with the addition of 17 applied sciences journals, one conference proceeding, and 15 social science journals.

Simon Baker, Chief Editor of the Nature Index, said the expanded disciplinary coverage and updated evaluation methodology now provide a broader and more accurate picture of global high-quality research output.

"The results clearly demonstrate that China continues to deliver exceptionally strong performance in high-quality scientific research," Baker said.

Source & Photo: China Daily.