New Zealand vs South Africa: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel

New Zealand
73,000 Persons
in 2023
South Africa
89,604 Persons
in 2023
New Zealand rank
22nd
South Africa rank
20th

R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel over time

  • New Zealand
  • South Africa
20.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k198320032023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 89,604 Persons against 73,000 Persons in New Zealand, a difference of 16,604 Persons.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times New Zealand's.

Across all 12 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

New Zealand ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 20th of 30 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade New Zealand South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 34,042 Persons 52,935 Persons 18,893 Persons South Africa
2010s 53,380 Persons 73,917 Persons 20,537 Persons South Africa
2020s 69,500 Persons 87,602 Persons 18,102 Persons South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel, New Zealand or South Africa?
South Africa, at 89,604 Persons against 73,000 Persons in New Zealand as of 2023.
What is the difference in r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel between New Zealand and South Africa?
16,604 Persons, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
12 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2023.
How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for r&d personnel by sector of performance and function — r&d personnel?
New Zealand ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 20th of 30 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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New Zealand vs South Africa: R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/r-and-d-personnel-by-sector-of-performance-and-function-r-and-d-personnel-total-economy/new-zealand/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
R&D personnel by sector of performance and function — R&D Personnel (total economy)
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 1,049 data points, 1981–2024
Last refreshed

This table contains research and development (R&D) personnel statistics. Number of R&D personnel is provided in both headcounts and full-time equivalent on R&D by sex, sector of employment (business enterprise, government, higher education, and private non-profit) and by function (researchers, technicians and other support staff).