Mexico vs South Africa: Researchers per million inhabitants
Mexico
438.25 FTE
in 2024
South Africa
444.16 FTE
in 2022
Mexico rank
77th
South Africa rank
76th
Researchers per million inhabitants over time
- Mexico
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 444.16 FTE against 438.25 FTE in Mexico, a difference of 5.91 FTE.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 22 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Mexico ahead.
Mexico ranks 77th and South Africa ranks 76th of 103 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 229.69 FTE | 188.03 FTE | 41.67 FTE | Mexico |
| 2000s | 348.28 FTE | 354.44 FTE | 6.15 FTE | South Africa |
| 2010s | 309 FTE | 444.66 FTE | 135.66 FTE | South Africa |
| 2020s | 385.24 FTE | 452.98 FTE | 67.74 FTE | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, Mexico or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 444.16 FTE against 438.25 FTE in Mexico as of 2022.
- What is the difference in researchers per million inhabitants between Mexico and South Africa?
- 5.91 FTE, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and South Africa?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2022.
- How do Mexico and South Africa rank globally for researchers per million inhabitants?
- Mexico ranks 77th 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