Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Tunisia

Tunisia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.7% in 2019. ▬ Flat

Latest (2019)
0.7%
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
48th
of 116 countries
All-time high
0.7%
in 2019
All-time low
0.5%
in 2002
Years of data
18
2002–2019

Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Tunisia, 2002–2019

00.20.40.60.82002201020192002: 0.543 % of GDP2003: 0.65 % of GDP2004: 0.731 % of GDP2005: 0.712 % of GDP2006: 0.677 % of GDP2007: 0.665 % of GDP2008: 0.639 % of GDP2009: 0.706 % of GDP2010: 0.658 % of GDP2011: 0.675 % of GDP2012: 0.649 % of GDP2013: 0.637 % of GDP2014: 0.62 % of GDP2015: 0.594 % of GDP2016: 0.565 % of GDP2017: 0.7 % of GDP2018: 0.716 % of GDP2019: 0.747 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2019, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Tunisia stood at 0.7%. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Tunisia peaked at 0.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2002.

That places Tunisia 48th out of 116 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.7% 0.5% 0.7% 8
2010s 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 10

Countries ranked near Tunisia

  1. 45 Latvia 0.8% compare
  2. 46 Kenya 0.8% compare
  3. 47 Bulgaria 0.8% compare
  4. 49 Iran 0.7% compare
  5. 50 Uruguay 0.7% compare
  6. 51 Cyprus 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More science & technology data for Tunisia

All data for Tunisia →

Frequently asked questions

What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Tunisia?
Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Tunisia was 0.7% in 2019, 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 Tunisia?
The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Tunisia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2002.
How does Tunisia rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
Tunisia ranks 48th out of 116 countries with data for 2019.
Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Tunisia?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Tunisia 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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About this data

Indicator
Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
116 places, 2,375 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.