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Portugal vs South Africa

On research quality in 2022–now, Portugal ranks #33 in the world and South Africa #34, of 192 countries. Portugal stands higher in 17 of the 26 fields both publish in, South Africa in 9.

Portugal

World rank, 2022–now
#33
#32 all time
Works, 2022–now
129k
fractional
Top-10% rate
18.3%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
58%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management, Filtration and Separation, Architecture.

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?

Portugal stands higher in 17 of 26 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.

Portugal 179 South Africa
  1. #28Agricultural and Biological Sciences#16
  2. #30Arts and Humanities#9
  3. #29Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#39
  4. #12Business, Management and Accounting#21
  5. #21Chemical Engineering#36
  6. #28Chemistry#31
  7. #34Computer Science#44
  8. #23Decision Sciences#38
  9. #29Dentistry#39
  10. #34Earth and Planetary Sciences#29
  11. #31Economics, Econometrics and Finance#17
  12. #40Energy#34
  13. #30Engineering#38
  14. #28Environmental Science#25
  15. #20Health Professions#37
  16. #30Immunology and Microbiology#27
  17. #31Materials Science#38
  18. #42Mathematics#37
  19. #30Medicine#40
  20. #24Neuroscience#45
  21. #19Nursing#26
  22. #23Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics#34
  23. #36Physics and Astronomy#42
  24. #25Psychology#33
  25. #21Social Sciences#13
  26. #17Veterinary—

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?

20k40kPortugal31k in 2025South Africa31k in 20251990200020102020

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

Which publishes more research, Portugal or South Africa?

Portugal publishes 1.1× as much research as South Africa in 2022–now (129k against 113k fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, Portugal or South Africa?

21.5% of South Africa's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 18.3% for Portugal.

Where does their research happen?

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