The United States leads the world in the number of Ph.D. holders. Germany comes in a close second, although they are still less than half of the amount than the United States has. The number of doctoral holders in the United States is over 67,000. While this number can seem low compared to the number living within the United States, the number has actually risen quite a bit in the last couple of decades.
While the rising number is more tied to jobs, there are several doctoral holders that are honorary doctorates, and this also plays into the amount that is reported each year. Many doctoral seekers are going back to school to increase their chances of receiving a promotion at work, achieve a dream, and also to continue their personal education.
The amount of those who are wanting to seek their Ph.D. is expected to continue to rise. With the advances in technology, many are taking advantage of long-distance learning to continue their education.