Malta vs South Africa: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Malta
0.6%
in 2023
South Africa
0.6%
in 2022
Malta rank
53rd
South Africa rank
56th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Malta
- South Africa
How they compare
Malta currently reports 0.6% against 0.6% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
That makes Malta's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2003 it was South Africa ahead.
Malta ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 56th of 116 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malta | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% | South Africa |
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 South Africa?
- Malta, at 0.6% against 0.6% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Malta and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with Malta ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2022.
- How do Malta and South Africa rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Malta ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 56th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) β 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.