Zambia R&D Spending
Research and development expenditure as % of GDP GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS
Zambia's r&d spending was 0.28% in 2008, ranked 65th globally. This represents a 1,015.9% increase from 2007. Data from World Bank, covering 1996–2008.
Overview
Zambia's r&d spending stood at 0.28% in 2008, a rise of +0.25% from 2005. Zambia ranked 65th globally.
Zambia’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) remained extremely low throughout the 1996‑2008 period, rising from the all‑time trough of 0.01 percent of GDP in 2002 to an all‑time peak of 0.28 percent in 2008, where it ranked 65th globally. The seven‑year coverage shows a modest upward trajectory, yet the absolute level still lags behind regional peers such as Senegal (0.29 percent) and Egypt (0.27 percent) and remains far below the 0.33 percent recorded by Uganda. The increase from 0.01 percent to 0.28 percent reflects limited but measurable policy attention to knowledge creation, but the figure is still well under the sub‑Saharan African average and insufficient to drive significant innovation‑led growth. Continued investment in higher education, stronger public‑private research partnerships, and improved fiscal incentives for private R&D could accelerate the pace of spending and shift Zambia’s trajectory upward in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | R&D Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0.28% | +0.25% | #65 |
| 2005 | 0.02% | +0.00% | #92 |
| 2004 | 0.02% | +0.01% | #94 |
| 2003 | 0.01% | +0.00% | #94 |
| 2002 | 0.01% | −0.00% | #95 |
| 1997 | 0.01% | −0.00% | #70 |
| 1996 | 0.01% | – | #53 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Zambia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw r&d spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Zambia's r&d spending was 0.28% in 2008. Ranked 65th globally. This represents a 1,015.9% increase from the previous year.
Zambia's r&d spending peaked at 0.28% in 2008.
The lowest r&d spending in Zambia was 0.01% in 2002.
Zambia ranks 65th globally in r&d spending as of 2008.
The World Bank indicator code is GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The r&d spending of Zambia in 2008 was 0.28%. This ranks 65th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_zambia_rd-spending,
title = {Zambia R&D Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/zambia/rd-spending/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}