UNESCO report warns over global quantum research inequality

According to UNESCO, the unequal access to quantum research infrastructure risks widening global scientific and technological divides, with nearly one in three researchers worldwide still lacking access to quantum research facilities despite rapid growth in investment and interest in the field.

The findings come from The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, which analysed more than 1,300 quantum science events across 83 countries and included a global survey of 590 experts in 81 countries.

The report highlights major regional disparities, with Europe and North America hosting 7 times as many quantum-related events per country as Africa.

More than 150 countries still lack a national quantum strategy, even though global public and private investment in quantum science and technology reached $55.7 billion by mid-2025, according to UNESCO.

The organisation also points to a persistent gender gap, noting that while women account for a much larger share of early-career participants, they make up only around 16% of senior researchers and 12% of leadership roles in quantum fields.

UNESCO says quantum technologies could transform areas including healthcare, computing, cybersecurity, and climate modelling. To address infrastructure inequality, it has launched the Global Quantum Initiative and expanded programmes that give researchers from developing economies remote access to advanced quantum computing systems.

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