South Africa: Researchers in R&D (per million people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, South Africa's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 10.63 on 2021 (from 454.8 to 444.16).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2021), the average change was +9 and a typical year strayed about 25.92 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 74.74 in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 25.04 in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 3% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to South Africa in the 2022 ranking

• Malaysia — 4th of 8: 1,218
• Chile — 5th of 8: 707.06
• Ukraine — 6th of 8: 586.08
• Sri Lanka — 8th of 8: 94.49

What this measures

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.

Limitations: Estimates of the resources allocated to R&D are affected by national characteristics such as the periodicity and coverage of national R&D surveys across institutional sectors and industries; and the use of different sampling and estimation methods. R&D typically involves a few large performers, hence R&D surveys use various techniques to maintain up-to-date registers of known performers, while attempting to identify new or occasional performers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 22 values

Researchers in R&D (per million people) in nearby economies

• Madagascar — 32.94 (2018)
• Togo — 57.79 (2024)

More infrastructure data for South Africa

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 1.01 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 1.58 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 169,154 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 59.67 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 15.45 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 114.79 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 179.34 (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 8,549 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents — 350 (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is South Africa's researchers in R&D (per million people)?

444.16 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 136.22% from 188.03 in 1997 (3.5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 516.54 in 2017 and the lowest 188.03 in 1997.

Is the latest change in researchers in R&D (per million people) unusual for South Africa?

In 2022, South Africa's researchers in R&D (per million people) fell 10.63 on 2021 (from 454.8 to 444.16). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2021), the average change was +9 and a typical year strayed about 25.92 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources/bulk, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-03-26, date published: 2025-02 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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