Paris, 5 May 2026 – One in three researchers have no access to quantum research facilities, heavily limiting its potential in fields including healthcare, computing, cybersecurity and climate modelling, according to a UNESCO report released today. ‘The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology’ shows there are stark North-South divides in access to the technology, with Europe and North America holding seven times more quantum science events per country in the past year compared to Africa. Findings also highlight a persistent gender gap, especially among senior level quantum researchers.
Quantum computers can explore an enormous number of possible solutions simultaneously – like finding the exit of a maze by testing every path at once, rather than one after another as a classical computer would. Harnessing quantum physics in this way vastly increases computing power, and could revolutionise our ability to resolve certain complex problems such as discovering new drugs, modelling climate systems with far greater accuracy, or significantly improving cyber-security for financial transactions and telecoms.
But without deliberate and coordinated action, the benefits of this transformation risk being concentrated in the hands of a small number of countries, deepening global inequalities rather than addressing them.
“The quantum revolution cannot be a story of a few countries racing ahead while the rest of the world watches. UNESCO’s recently launched Global Quantum Initiative is a concrete response to the findings of this report, and provides a practical roadmap to tackle this striking global inequality. We must act now to bridge this divide and ensure the benefits of quantum technology are shared by all. We call on governments, industry, and the scientific community to join us in building a truly global and equitable quantum future," said Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO.
Global momentum, unequal access
The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology presents the first comprehensive global assessment of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Drawing on data from 1,300 registered quantum science events across 83 countries with direct participation exceeding 1.2 million people, a global survey of 590 experts in 81 countries, and built on contributions from leading international scientific organizations such as the American Physical Society, the report documents both the scale of global interest in quantum science and the depth of the barriers that stand between most countries and meaningful participation in the quantum era.
The data on inequality are stark. UNESCO member states across Europe and North America concentrate seven times more quantum science events – such as conferences, workshops, seminars and hackathons – compared with those in Africa. Nearly one in three researchers report that their institutions have no access to quantum research facilities, while equipment costs are cited as a barrier by two thirds of respondents globally. More than 150 countries have yet to adopt any form of national quantum strategy, even as global public and private investment in quantum science and technology reached USD 55.7 billion as of mid-2025. The concentration of that investment in a small number of economies underscores the urgency of the challenge.
The report also points to a persistent gender gap in quantum-related fields. While women represented approximately 42% of early-career participants in quantum science events, their share declines significantly along the career pathway, to around 16% at senior researcher level and just 12% in leadership positions.
Bridging the divide: a roadmap for an inclusive quantum future
To address this inequality of access, UNESCO launched the Global Quantum Initiative (GQI), a framework for governments, academia, industry and civil society to ensure quantum technologies are developed inclusively and ethically, ensuring no country is excluded from shaping the quantum future.
Concrete action is already underway. Under UNESCO's Remote Access to Lab Equipment Initiative, researchers from the Global South can now access the world's first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare research (IBM Quantum System One in Cleveland, USA) to work on drug discovery, disease modelling and other challenges directly relevant to their countries. The programme illustrates a practical model the GQI aims to replicate and scale: removing the infrastructure barrier not by waiting for every country to build its own quantum facility, but by opening doors to existing ones.
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