Why are the countries... some of the least likely to publish

[GoodTaste]

Why are the countries which currently suffer the most direct health impacts from climate change some of the least likely to publish climate research? In the lead-up to COP26, Prof. Penny Murage of LSHTM discusses the field and her community work in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ayesha Tandon of CarbonBrief talks about her recent piece on inequality in climate research.

Source: The Lancet

The grammatical structure of the first sentence above appears to be "Why are the countries (the subject)... some of the least likely (the object) to publish climate research". I don't have a very clear picture about "some of the least likely". I wonder whether it is the same to say "among the least likely". If not, what is the difference?

 

[Tarheel]

Why are the countries which currently suffer the most direct health impacts from climate change some of the least likely to publish climate research? In the lead-up to COP26, Prof. Penny Murage of LSHTM discusses the field and her community work in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ayesha Tandon of CarbonBrief talks about her recent piece on inequality in climate research.

Source: The Lancet

The grammatical structure of the first sentence above appears to be "Why are the countries (the subject)... some of the least likely (the object) to publish climate research". I don't have a very clear picture about "some of the least likely". I wonder whether it is the same as saying "among the least likely".

Yes.

If not, what is the difference?

OK.

 

[jutfrank]

I wonder whether it is the same to say "among the least likely". If not, what is the difference?

Yes. There's no difference in meaning.