Bulgaria vs Iran: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Bulgaria
0.8%
in 2023
Iran
0.7%
in 2021
Bulgaria rank
47th
Iran rank
49th
Research & development spending as a share 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 & development spending as a share of gdp, Bulgaria or Iran?
- Bulgaria, at 0.8% against 0.7% in Iran as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp 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 & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Bulgaria ranks 47th and Iran ranks 49th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.