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Malaysia vs South Africa

On research quality in 2022–now, Malaysia ranks #30 in the world and South Africa #34, of 192 countries. Malaysia stands higher in 16 of the 25 fields both publish in, South Africa in 9.

Malaysia

World rank, 2022–now
#30
#37 all time
Works, 2022–now
176k
fractional
Top-10% rate
15.8%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
56%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Accounting, Information Systems and Management, Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design.

South Africa

World rank, 2022–now
#34
#33 all time
Works, 2022–now
113k
fractional
Top-10% rate
21.5%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
49%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Archeology, Religious studies, Public Administration.

Who leads in each field?

Malaysia stands higher in 16 of 25 fields, South Africa in 9. Each bar is that side’s standing among all countries ranked in the field: the full bar is first place.

Malaysia 169 South Africa
  1. #34Agricultural and Biological Sciences#16
  2. #32Arts and Humanities#9
  3. #41Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#39
  4. #11Business, Management and Accounting#21
  5. #19Chemical Engineering#36
  6. #29Chemistry#31
  7. #14Computer Science#44
  8. #14Decision Sciences#38
  9. #23Dentistry#39
  10. #37Earth and Planetary Sciences#29
  11. #11Economics, Econometrics and Finance#17
  12. #15Energy#34
  13. #20Engineering#38
  14. #21Environmental Science#25
  15. #25Health Professions#37
  16. #41Immunology and Microbiology#27
  17. #23Materials Science#38
  18. #40Mathematics#37
  19. #38Medicine#40
  20. #42Neuroscience#45
  21. #27Nursing#26
  22. #27Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics#34
  23. #49Physics and Astronomy#42
  24. #24Psychology#33
  25. #17Social Sciences#13

Standing is the percentile of world rank within each field, 2022–now; the printed number is the rank itself. A dash means the field is too small there to rank. How sides are compared.

How has their output grown?

20k40k60kMalaysia45k in 2025South Africa31k in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works per year. The latest, partial year is left off.

Which publishes more research, Malaysia or South Africa?

Malaysia publishes 1.6× as much research as South Africa in 2022–now (176k against 113k fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, Malaysia or South Africa?

21.5% of South Africa's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 15.8% for Malaysia.

Where does their research happen?

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