Costa Rica vs South Africa: Researchers per million inhabitants
Costa Rica
507.76 FTE
in 2023
South Africa
444.16 FTE
in 2022
Costa Rica rank
73rd
South Africa rank
76th
Researchers per million inhabitants over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 507.76 FTE against 444.16 FTE in South Africa, a difference of 63.6 FTE.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2003 it was South Africa ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 73rd and South Africa ranks 76th of 103 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 195.11 FTE | 355.64 FTE | 160.52 FTE | South Africa |
| 2010s | 426.49 FTE | 440.74 FTE | 14.25 FTE | South Africa |
| 2020s | 413.68 FTE | 452.98 FTE | 39.31 FTE | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- Costa Rica, at 507.76 FTE against 444.16 FTE in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in researchers per million inhabitants between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 63.6 FTE, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2022.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for researchers per million inhabitants?
- Costa Rica ranks 73rd and South Africa ranks 76th of 103 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release