The Nobel Prize, first awarded in 1901, is one of the most prestigious accolades a person may win in their whole life.
As outlined in Alfred Nobel’s will that created the Nobel Foundation, the awards should be granted each year “to those who have contributed most to the advancement of humanity” during the prior year.
He commanded that “no regard be given to the country, but that the prize be granted to the most deserving individual.”
Physiology or medicine is one of five fields in which Nobel Prizes are given: peace, literature, physics, chemistry, and chemistry.
It was founded by Sweden’s central bank, the “Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel” (SRPESMAN), in 1969 and has since been integrated into the Nobels as well.
Most Nobel Prize Winners in the World’s Top 11 Countries (1901-2021)
- United States — 400
- United Kingdom — 138
- Germany — 111
- France — 71
- Sweden — 32 (tie)
- Russia — 32 (tie)
- Japan — 29
- Canada — 28
- Switzerland — 27
- Austria — 22 (tie)
- Netherlands — 22 (tie)
Since 1901, the United States has earned the most Nobel Prizes, with a total of 400 awards. With 138 Nobel Prizes, the United Kingdom is in second place.
Germany is the third nation in the world with more than 100 Nobel laureates behind the United States and the United Kingdom. Occasionally, a single prize might be added to the totals of numerous nations.
Even though Maria Ressa, a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, was born in the Philippines and relocated to the United States as a youngster, she retains strong connections to U.S. institutions such as CNN and the New York Times.
In addition to the United States and the Philippines, her prize was included in the total.
Nobel Prize rules and prizes
If you want to award the Nobel Prize to more than one person, you may do so for up to two different works or achievements.
A person is required to receive all but one award, save for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is reserved for organizations and institutions.
A person or organization may receive the Nobel Prize many times, although this is very unusual. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the International Committee of the Red Cross three times and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees twice.
One person has been awarded two Nobel Prizes, the other three have been awarded two Nobel Prizes each: Marie Curie (Physics 1903 & Chemistry 1911), Frederick Sanger (1958 & 1980), and John Bardeen (1956 & 1972). (Chemistry 1954 and Peace 1962).
When compared to the other three laureates, Pauling was the only one to get both of his honors without sharing them with someone else.
A total of 943 individuals and 25 organizations have received Nobel Prizes (including the SRPESMAN) between 1901 and 2021. A medal, a certificate, and prize money of 10 million Swedish Krona (approximately $1,078,430 USD) will be awarded to Nobel Prize recipients as of 2021.
Is there a formula for selecting Nobel Prize winners?
More than 3,000 academics are contacted every year to nominate authors and scientists for the literary and science-based awards (physics, chemistry, medicine, economics, literature).
Those who have previously been Nobel Peace Prize laureates as well as government officials get nomination papers for the prestigious award.
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As soon as the Nobel Committee receives all nominations (by January 31 of a given year), it narrows the list to 300 possible winners and sends them to the organizations that award each prize.
Most of the time, the Nobel committees come to a unanimous decision on the award recipients, who are subsequently known as Nobel laureates. As soon as they’ve won, applicants are told that they’ve been nominated.
The following is a list of the 10 nations with the most Nobel Prize winners:
- United States (400)
- United Kingdom (137)
- Germany (111)
- France (71)
- Russia (32)
- Sweden (32)
- Japan (29)
- Canada (28)
- Switzerland (27)
- Netherlands (22)
Country | Nobel Prizes 1901-2021 | 2022 Population |
---|---|---|
United States | 400 | 334805.2690 |
United Kingdom | 137 | 68497.9070 |
Germany | 111 | 83883.5960 |
France | 71 | 65584.5180 |
Sweden | 32 | 10218.9710 |
Russia | 32 | 145805.9470 |
Japan | 29 | 125584.8380 |
Canada | 28 | 38388.4190 |
Switzerland | 27 | 8773.6370 |
Austria | 22 | 9066.7100 |
Netherlands | 22 | 17211.4470 |
Italy | 21 | 60262.7700 |
Poland | 19 | 37739.7850 |
Norway | 13 | 5511.3700 |
Denmark | 13 | 5834.9500 |
Israel | 13 | 8922.8920 |
Hungary | 13 | 9606.2590 |
Australia | 12 | 26068.7920 |
India | 12 | 1406631.7760 |
Ireland | 11 | 5020.1990 |
Belgium | 11 | 11668.2780 |
South Africa | 11 | 60756.1350 |
Spain | 8 | 46719.1420 |
China | 8 | 1448471.4000 |
Czech Republic | 6 | 10736.7840 |
Ukraine | 6 | 43192.1220 |
Finland | 5 | 5554.9600 |
Romania | 5 | 19031.3350 |
Argentina | 5 | 46010.2340 |
Taiwan | 4 | 23888.5950 |
Egypt | 4 | 106156.6920 |
Lithuania | 3 | 2661.7080 |
New Zealand | 3 | 4898.2030 |
Mexico | 3 | 131562.7720 |
Saint Lucia | 2 | 185.1130 |
Luxembourg | 2 | 642.3710 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 3249.3170 |
Croatia | 2 | 4059.2860 |
Liberia | 2 | 5305.1170 |
Belarus | 2 | 9432.8000 |
Portugal | 2 | 10140.5700 |
Greece | 2 | 10316.6370 |
Guatemala | 2 | 18584.0390 |
Chile | 2 | 19250.1950 |
Algeria | 2 | 45350.1480 |
Colombia | 2 | 51512.7620 |
Turkey | 2 | 85561.9760 |
Bangladesh | 2 | 167885.6890 |
Pakistan | 2 | 229488.9940 |
Faroe Islands | 1 | 49.2330 |
Iceland | 1 | 345.3930 |
Cyprus | 1 | 1223.3870 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1406.5850 |
Latvia | 1 | 1848.8370 |
Slovenia | 1 | 2078.0340 |
North Macedonia | 1 | 2081.3040 |
Costa Rica | 1 | 5182.3540 |
Palestine | 1 | 5345.5410 |
Bulgaria | 1 | 6844.5970 |
Hong Kong | 1 | 7604.2990 |
Azerbaijan | 1 | 10300.2050 |
Tunisia | 1 | 12046.6560 |
Venezuela | 1 | 29266.9910 |
Yemen | 1 | 31154.8670 |
Ghana | 1 | 32395.4500 |
Peru | 1 | 33684.2080 |
Morocco | 1 | 37772.7560 |
Iraq | 1 | 42164.9650 |
South Korea | 1 | 51329.8990 |
Myanmar | 1 | 55227.1430 |
Kenya | 1 | 56215.2210 |
Tanzania | 1 | 63298.5500 |
Iran | 1 | 86022.8370 |
DR Congo | 1 | 95240.7920 |
Vietnam | 1 | 98953.5410 |
Philippines | 1 | 112508.9940 |
Ethiopia | 1 | 120812.6980 |
Brazil | 1 | 215353.5930 |
Nigeria | 1 | 216746.9340 |