Romania vs South Africa: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP

Romania
0.5%
in 2023
South Africa
0.6%
in 2022
Romania rank
63rd
South Africa rank
60th

Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP over time

  • Romania
  • South Africa
00.20.40.60.8200020112023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 0.6% against 0.5% in Romania, a difference of 0.1%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Romania's.

Across all 21 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Romania ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 60th of 121 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Romania South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 0.4% 0.7% 0.3% South Africa
2010s 0.5% 0.7% 0.2% South Africa
2020s 0.5% 0.6% 0.1% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp, Romania or South Africa?
South Africa, at 0.6% against 0.5% in Romania as of 2022.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp between Romania and South Africa?
0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Romania and South Africa?
21 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2022.
How do Romania and South Africa rank globally for research and development expenditure as a proportion of gdp?
Romania ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 60th 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.

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Romania vs South Africa: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/romania/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
143 places, 2,753 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed