India vs Saudi Arabia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
India
0.6%
in 2020
Saudi Arabia
0.6%
in 2024
India rank
54th
Saudi Arabia rank
55th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- India
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
India currently reports 0.6% against 0.6% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 12 shared years of data; in 2003 it was India ahead.
India ranks 54th and Saudi Arabia ranks 55th of 116 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, India averaged higher in 2 and Saudi Arabia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.7% | India |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.1% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.2% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, India or Saudi Arabia?
- India, at 0.6% against 0.6% in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between India and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.0%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Saudi Arabia?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2020.
- How do India and Saudi Arabia rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- India ranks 54th and Saudi Arabia ranks 55th 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.