China vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
China
2.6%
in 2023
Sub-Saharan Africa
0.4%
in 2023
China rank
16th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
18th
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP over time
- China
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 2.6% against 0.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 2.2%.
That makes China's figure about 6.8 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 16th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 18th of 121 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.9% | China |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 0.4% | 1.6% | China |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 0.4% | 2.1% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp, China or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- China, at 2.6% against 0.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp between China and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 2.2%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do China and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
- China ranks 16th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 18th of 121 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.