UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT

Despite the stagnation in spending on higher education
in Pakistan since 2008 (as a share of GDP), the momentum
generated by reforms during the first decade of the century
has not slowed. Meanwhile, in Nepal, the rapid increase
in R&D spending between 2008 and 2010 appears to be
reflected in the rise in research output, which accelerated
after 2009.
Despite this progress, South Asia’s research output remains
modest relative to other parts of the world, be it in terms of
international patents or publications in peer-reviewed journals.
This lower scale of research activity is directly attributable to
the lack of measureable R&D input, both from the public and
private sectors. The region’s academic capacity for teaching
and research is also among the lowest in the world.
Figure 21.7: Researchers (HC) and technicians in South Asia per million inhabitants and by gender, 2007 and 2013
or closest years
328 82
328 82
333 93
328 82
333 93
2007
2013
Pakistan
72.7
2007
27.3 29.8
2013
71.2
Chapter 21
333 93
% Men
% Women
Researchers
Researchers Technicians
Researchers Technicians
Technicians
224
123
224
123
249 188
224
123
249 188
249 188
2006
Sri Lanka
2010
58.5
2006
41.5
63.1
2010
36.9
124 249
191*
191*
191*
124 249
449*
124 249
449*
449*
* partial data
2002
2010
Nepal
85.0
2002
15.0
92.2
7.8
2010
Note: Data for Pakistan exclude the business enterprise sector.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, June 2015
Table 21.3: Patent applications in South Asia, 2008 and 2013
2008 2013
Total
resident
Resident
applications
per million
inhabitants
Total
non-resident
Total
resident
Resident
applications
per million
inhabitants
Total
non-resident
Bangladesh 29 0.19 270 60 0.39 243
Bhutan 0 0 0 3 3.00 1
India 5 314 4.53 23 626 10 669 8.62 32 362
Nepal 3 0.12 5 18 0.67 12
Pakistan 91 0.55 1 647 151 0.84 783
Sri Lanka 201 10.0 264 328 16.4 188
Source: WIPO Statistics Database, accessed April 2015
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