Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Saudi Arabia
0.6%
in 2024
South Africa
0.6%
in 2022
Saudi Arabia rank
55th
South Africa rank
56th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 0.6% against 0.6% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2003 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 55th and South Africa ranks 56th of 116 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.7% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 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, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- Saudi Arabia, at 0.6% against 0.6% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2022.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 55th 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.