Chinese scientists dissatisfied with jobs but optimistic about future, survey says
Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British…
A recent survey reveals Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs compared to researchers from other major countries. According to the study published in Nature, only 51% of the 157 Chinese respondents reported job satisfaction, a 24% decrease from 2018. The survey included 3,882 respondents from 133 countries across various disciplines, academia, and industry.
However, Chinese scientists remain more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain, with 71% satisfied with their independence and 55% optimistic about their career prospects. This optimism is slightly above the global average of 52%. Despite this, Chinese scholars expressed lower satisfaction with aspects such as relationships with colleagues, work-life balance, and professional development opportunities, with only 34% satisfied with funding and 39% with compensation.
The survey came amid China's increased investment in research, with spending on research and development hitting a record 3.93 trillion yuan (US$584.5 billion) in 2025. Chinese scientists are also less concerned about geopolitics affecting their work, with only 6% expressing such concerns compared to 16% globally and 27% in the US.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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