Research & development spending as a share of GDP in South Africa
South Africa: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in South Africa, 1997–2022
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.6% for research & development spending as a share of gdp in 2022.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in South Africa peaked at 0.8% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1997.
South Africa ranks 56th of 116 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More science & technology data for South Africa
- Scientific and technical journal articles 14,949 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 9,156 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 78.4% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 1,804 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 0.6% (2022)
- Number of people using the Internet 46.11 million users (2021)
- Landline Internet subscriptions per 100 people 5.35 per 100 people (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in South Africa?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in South Africa was 0.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8% in 2008.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1997.
- How does South Africa rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- South Africa ranks 56th out of 116 countries with data for 2022.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.