Malta vs Saudi Arabia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

Malta
0.6%
in 2023
Saudi Arabia
0.6%
in 2024
Malta rank
53rd
Saudi Arabia rank
55th

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

  • Malta
  • Saudi Arabia
00.20.40.60.8200220132024

How they compare

Malta currently reports 0.6% against 0.6% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2003 it was Malta ahead.

Malta ranks 53rd and Saudi Arabia ranks 55th of 116 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Malta averaged higher in 2 and Saudi Arabia in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malta Saudi Arabia Difference Ahead
2000s 0.5% 0.1% 0.4% Malta
2010s 0.7% 0.9% 0.2% Saudi Arabia
2020s 0.6% 0.4% 0.2% Malta

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Malta or Saudi Arabia?
Malta, at 0.6% against 0.6% in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Malta and Saudi Arabia?
0.0%, with Malta ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and Saudi Arabia?
15 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2023.
How do Malta and Saudi Arabia rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Malta ranks 53rd 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

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.