Which has higher research and development expenditure, Bulgaria or Iran?

Bulgaria, at 0.8% against 0.7% in Iran as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Iran?

15 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2021.

Where does this data come from?

Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Bulgaria vs Iran: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)

Bulgaria

0.8%

in 2023

Iran

0.7%

in 2021

Bulgaria rank

47th

Iran rank

49th

Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) over time

Bulgaria
Iran

How they compare

Bulgaria currently reports 0.8% against 0.7% in Iran, a difference of 0.1%.

That makes Bulgaria's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Iran ahead.

Bulgaria ranks 47th and Iran ranks 49th of 116 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 2 and Iran in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Bulgaria	Iran	Difference	Ahead
2000s	0.5%	0.5%	0.1%	Iran
2010s	0.7%	0.5%	0.3%	Bulgaria
2020s	0.8%	0.7%	0.0%	Bulgaria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Bulgaria or Iran?: Bulgaria, at 0.8% against 0.7% in Iran as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Bulgaria and Iran?: 0.1%, with Bulgaria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Iran?: 15 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2021.
How do Bulgaria and Iran rank globally for research and development expenditure?: Bulgaria ranks 47th and Iran ranks 49th of 116 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bulgaria vs Iran: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 09 November 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/bulgaria/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator: Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit: % of GDP
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 147 places, 3,092 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026

Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.