Bulgaria vs Latvia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

Bulgaria
0.8%
in 2023
Latvia
0.8%
in 2023
Bulgaria rank
47th
Latvia rank
45th

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

  • Bulgaria
  • Latvia
00.20.40.60.81199620092023

How they compare

Latvia currently reports 0.8% against 0.8% in Bulgaria, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Bulgaria ahead.

Bulgaria ranks 47th and Latvia ranks 45th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 2 and Latvia in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bulgaria Latvia Difference Ahead
1990s 0.5% 0.4% 0.1% Bulgaria
2000s 0.5% 0.5% 0.0% Latvia
2010s 0.7% 0.6% 0.1% Bulgaria
2020s 0.8% 0.8% 0.0% Latvia

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 Latvia?
Latvia, at 0.8% against 0.8% in Bulgaria as of 2023.
What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Bulgaria and Latvia?
0.0%, with Latvia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Latvia?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Bulgaria and Latvia rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Bulgaria ranks 47th and Latvia ranks 45th 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

Indicator
Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
116 places, 2,375 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.