Gross domestic expenditure on research and development as a share of GDP. Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators. Retrieved 15 Oct 2026.
| Period | R&D Spending (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.6% |
| 2021 | 0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.6% |
| 2019 | 0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.7% |
| 2015 | 0.7% |
| 2014 | 0.7% |
| 2013 | 0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.7% |
10 countries carry a recent research and development spending as a share of GDP figure. Each opens its own page with the history, the source and the API request.
170 of 207 indicators carry a figure for South Africa, grouped by topic.