WASHINGTON: Among Asian countries, India continues to be the top country of birth for scientists and engineers who have made the U.S. their destination for key research and development, latest data has revealed.

With 950,000 out of Asia's total 2.96 million, India's 2013 figure represented an 85 per cent increase from 2003, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).

From 2003 to 2013, the number of scientists and engineers residing in the U.S. rose from 21.6 million to 29 million.

"An important factor in that increase over the same time period, the number of immigrant scientists and engineers went from 3.4 million to 5.2 million," the report noted.

Of the immigrant scientists and engineers in the U.S. in 2013, 57 per cent were born in Asia while 20 per cent were born in North America (excluding the U.S.), Central America, the Caribbean or South America.

"While 16 per cent were born in Europe, six percent were born in Africa and less than one percent were born in Oceania.

"Immigrants went from making up 16 percent of the science and engineering workforce to 18 per cent," the NCSES statement read.

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Source: IANS