These 7 countries that produce the most engineers in the world obviously know the importance of engineering. Engineers play a crucial role in using the discoveries of science to improve the quality of life.

Engineers usually dedicate their education and practice to a particular area of engineering. Engineering is a very complex branch of science, so specialization is a must. We talked about the importance of specialization in our list of 7 countries that produce the best doctors in the world. The most important branches of engineering are: Chemical, Civil, Mechatronics, Electric, Mechanical and Computer Engineering.

You may have noticed that the number of engineers is increasing rapidly over the years. There is a simple reason for that. Engineering is a stable and well-paid job. While there are certain jobs that are not very suitable for today’s market and even well-educated people are having troubles finding the job, that is not the case for engineers. They are always necessary since technology is constantly advancing, and new discoveries are made daily, and engineers are the ones who put those discoveries to good use. Unfortunately, this applies only to highly advanced countries. For those less advanced countries, even the engineers are having a rough time.

To find the countries that produce the most engineers in the world, we consulted Forbes, and found out which countries had the most engineering graduates in 2015. There was no data for China and India on the list since the countries didn’t publish the numbers of engineering graduates. Nevertheless, we managed to found some close estimations for those countries too, using Engineering & Technology Magazine and IT Centre.

7. South Korea

According to the estimates, one in every four students in South Korea is majoring in engineering. The reason for that lies in the country’s educational system, which is formed in a way that it produces the graduates for the jobs country currently needs the most.

Number of graduates: around 147,800

6. Japan

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who is remotely familiar with the fact that Japan is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Because of that, engineering jobs are among the top rated ones, and the country is focused on producing enough graduates to fill the open vacancies.

Number of graduates: around 168,200

5. Iran

Among the many misconceptions about Iran, the poor stature of women is among the most common. The truth is little different and the best proof for that is engineering. From 233,695 engineering graduates in Iran, 70% of them are women, the highest percent than in any other country.

Number of graduates: around 233,600

4. The United States

No, this isn’t one of those lists where United States are dominant. Among the 7 countries that produce the most engineers in the world, United States come in fourth place with estimations that one in 20 students majors in engineering.

Number of graduates: around 237,800

3. Russia

It is estimated that 22% of all college graduates in Russia are in engineering, but there is still a small number of jobs for them on the market. Because of that, engineering graduates in Russia are forced to work the jobs they are overqualified to do. One of the reasons for this situation is that the country has cut the investments made in science and technical sectors.

Number of graduates: around 454,400

2. India

India is one more country that is fighting with a large number of engineering graduates who are having a tough time finding a job. In 2006, there were 1,511 engineering colleges in India, and in 2015, the number climbed to 3,345. With so much competition, the situation is far from ideal. Around 30% of engineering graduates in India fail to find an engineering job, and those who manage to do that, are stuck with low payment.

Number of graduates: around 1 million

1. China

This number of engineering graduates looks amazing for the future of China. This country is emerging as the new leader in technology and science, so it shouldn’t surprise you that it topped 7 countries that produce the most engineers in the world. It gets better since it is estimated that by 2020, China alongside with India, will produce 40% of all graduates in the world. Taking that into account, the number of engineering graduates will surely be much higher since the government is planning to widen engineering education. In the past years, there were a lot of students from China who earned their engineering diplomas in other countries, but the government has been putting efforts and money into the educational system, trying to make them stay.

Number of graduates: around 1, 3 million