Nobel powerhouses: Countries with the highest number of prizes

This tradition, invented by the inventor of dynamite—Alfred Nobel—dates back to 1901, when Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy became the first recipients of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

With American scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan receiving this year's first Nobel in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel week has officially begun— a time when eminent scholars from across the globe will be recognised and honoured for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

This tradition, established by the inventor of dynamite—Alfred Nobel—dates back to 1901, when Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy became the first recipients of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

Duant was a Swiss humanitarian while Passy was a French Pacifist. According to Nobel's will, the prize should be conferred upon "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".

Over the years, exceptional individuals from across the globe have continued to inspire the world with their groundbreaking contributions to humanity. These laureates have brought laurels to their countries and helped make the world a better place.

Let's take a look at which countries have had the most recipients of Nobel Prize.

With 423 awards, the United States of America has received the highest number of Nobel Prizes. This list includes four presidents, a vice president and secretary of state.

After the US, the United Kingdom has produced 143 Nobel Laureates. This island nation's recipients ranges from the inventor of penicillin—Alexander Fleming— to the man who wrote the Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling.

Germany is home to 115 Nobel laureates, spanning disciplines from physics and chemistry to peace and literature. France comes number 4 on the list with as many as 76 Nobel laureates.

Following closely in France's footsteps is Sweden—birthplace of the Nobel Prize itself—which houses 34 laureates.

Japan too has won 31 Nobel Prizes with the most recent winner being Japanese scientist Shimon Sakaguchi.

In the top 10 list, Russia finds a place with 30 Nobel Prizes. One of their most recent laureates include Dmitry Muratov, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous fight for freedom of expression in Russia.

Among these laureates, India too has won 13 Nobel Prizes. Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. Since then, many Indians, including C V Raman, Amartya Sen and Kailash Satyarthi have received this prestigious award.

Here is a list of top 20 countries which have the Nobel Prize.