Country-specific citation disparities in Naunyn–Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology from 2001 to 2024

Abstract This bibliometric study examined disparities in research output and citation impact in 4155 (including all types of documents) research documents published in Naunyn–Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology (NSAP) from 2001 to 2024. The objective was to assess how publication volume and citations vary across countries, i.e., high-income countries (HICs), upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries (UMICs and LMICs). Germany led in both number of publications (770 publications) and total citations (17,569), followed by China, India, the United States, and Egypt. Regression-based citation analysis by country group revealed pronounced disparities. In the low-output category (11–51 publications), HICs such as Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden demonstrated citation performance far above expectations, while several LMICs underperformed despite comparable output levels. In the moderate-output group (85–169 publications), citation correlation weakened overall. While the Netherlands and the UK maintained high impact, middle-income countries like South Korea and Saudi Arabia showed limited citation impact. Among high-output countries (240–769 publications), citation performance was more consistent ( R 2  = 0.731), with Germany, the US and Japan significantly outperforming other contributors. Conversely, UMICs such as China, India, Iran, and Egypt—despite high output—lagged in citation returns, suggesting a gap between quantity and influence. The disparities in citation performance persisted in both original and review categories, underscoring the structural imbalance in global research influence. In conclusion, while NSAP has expanded its international scope and output, substantial citation inequality remains across country income groups. These findings highlight the need for targeted editorial, collaborative, and policy strategies to enhance research visibility and recognition in UMICs and LMICs.