These are the 10 smartest countries in the world when it comes to science

Students take a university entrance examination at a lecture hall in the Andalusian capital of Seville, southern Spain, September 15, 2009. Students in Spain must pass the exam after completing secondary school in order to gain access to university. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo (SPAIN EDUCATION SOCIETY)
REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

If we are to solve the biggest problems of our time — from climate change and food security to nuclear non-proliferation — we're going to need more scientists.

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That's partly why the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tracks new college degrees in 40 of the world's most advanced countries.

Now the group has released its 2015 Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard report, which includes data up to 2012.

The ranking is based on the percentage of science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) degrees awarded per capita so that it's a fair comparison between countries with different populations. For example, Spain ranked 11th by awarding 24% of its degrees in the natural sciences or engineering.

Here's how 10 of the smartest countries in the world stack up when it comes to science degrees:

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10. Portugal had 25% of its students graduate with a STEM degree. It has the highest percentage of doctorate holders — 72% — that work in education of all 40 countries surveyed.

Portugal science education
Pupils listen to a teacher in an aeronautics class in the Instituto do Emprego e Formacao Profissional (IEFP) vocational training center in Setubal February 1, 2013. The Portuguese government is looking for additional EU funding to expand these vocational training centres to combat the downturn in the economy and employment. European Union states will meet for the second time on February 7-8 to try and negotiate the nearly 1 trillion euro EU budget for 2014-2020. Previous talks collapsed in November and deep divisions remain over whether and how deeply the budget should be cut to reflect the euro debt crisis and harsh austerity measures being taken to address it. Arguments over farm subsidies and rebates are yet to be resolved as the EU contemplates its first real terms decline in spending. But officials are more confident that a deal will be struck this time. France is the biggest beneficiary of farm subsidies, which accounts for about 40 percent of the total budget. It has been at the heart of attempts to maintain contributions along with newer EU members to the east and countries struggling with crippling debts. However, countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, which pay far more into the budget than they get back, are pushing for a reduction in an attempt to help balance their national books. Jose Manuel Ribeiro/REUTERS

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

9. Austria (25%) has the second-highest number of working-age PhDs, with 6.7 female and 9.1 male doctorate holders per 1,000 people.

Austria science education
Student Michael Leichtfried of the Virtual-Reality-Team at Vienna University of Technology places a quadcopter on a map marked with computer-readable symbols in Vienna September 5, 2013. The quadcopter, which was developed by students and scientists of the university, can negotiate its way through a room completely on its own with all the necessary computing power done by an on-board standard smartphone. Picture taken September 5, 2013. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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8. Mexico moved up from 24% in 2002 to 25% in 2012, despite the government abolishing tax breaks for businesses investments in research and development.

Mexico science education
A Mexican medicine students practices resuscitating a full scale sized robot of a man as a teacher watches during a class at the Autonomus University's school of medicine in Mexico City September 26, 2005. Medical students at Mexico's Autonomous University, the largest in Latin America, got their first taste of using robots which react like real life patients on Monday. The robots are designed to help students apply clinical techniques in a simulation before facing real life patients. Andrew Winning/REUTERS

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

7. Estonia (26%) has one of the highest percentages of female STEM graduates, at 41% in 2012.

Estonia science education
Teacher Kristi Rahn (C) helps to first grade students during a computer lesson in school in Tallinn September 25, 2012. Estonian Tiger Leap Foundation has launched a program called "ProgeTiiger" where Estonian students will be introduced to computer programming and creating web and mobile applications. According to representatives from the foundation, the program will start with students in the first grade, which starts around the age of 7, and will continue through a student's final years of public school, around age 15. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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6. Greece spent only 0.08% of its GDP on research in 2013, which was one of the lowest reported among developed countries. It might explain why its STEM degree rate dropped from 28% in 2002 to 26% in 2012.

Greece science education
Amateur astronomers and students use a telescope to watch a partial eclipse of the sun in Athens, March 20, 2015. A solar eclipse swept across the Atlantic Ocean on Friday with the moon set to block out the sun for a few thousand sky gazers on remote islands with millions more in Europe, Africa and Asia getting a partial celestial show. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

5. In France (27%), most researchers are employed by industry rather than the government or universities.

France science education
A member of the Rhoban project's team checks functions of a humanoid robot at the LaBRI workshop in Talence, southwestern France, July 7, 2014. The humanoid robot, one of four, which is developed by researchers and students from the University of Bordeaux, will compete at the annual 2014 world robotic's championship "RoboCup" taking place in Brazil REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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4. Finland (28%) publishes more research about medicine than in any other field.

Finland science education
Students attend a class in nuclear engineering at Aalto University School of Science and Technology in Helsinki, September 27, 2010. REUTERS/Bob Strong

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

3. Sweden (28%) is just behind Norway for most computer use at work, including for applications like programming. Over three-quarters of workers use computers at their jobs.

stockholm university sweden
Stockholm University. Gunnar Grimnes/Flickr

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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2. Germany (31%) had the third-highest average annual raw number of STEM graduates at about 10,000, right behind the US and China — despite those countries' much larger populations.

Germany science education
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan (background 2nd L) watch while research laboratory technicians work during a visit to the Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin September 13, 2011. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

1. South Korea (32%) had the top 10's largest drop, from 39% in 2002, even though the country retained its position at the top of the OECD's list.

Korea science education
A student attends a white-hat hackers competition, co-hosted by the Defence Ministry and the National Intelligence Service, at the Korea Military Academy in Seoul September 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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Overall, the 40 most science-educated countries in the world saw a drop from 23% STEM degrees in 2002 to 22% a decade later. The US rounded out the bottom of the list in 39th place, with 16% STEM degrees in 2002 and 2012.

scieducountrieslist
OECD

Source: 2015 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard

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