France vs South Africa: Civil liberties rating
France
2
in 2025
South Africa
2
in 2025
France rank
121st
South Africa rank
121st
Civil liberties rating over time
- France
- South Africa
How they compare
France currently reports 2 against 2 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
Across all 53 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
France ranks 121st and South Africa ranks 121st of 199 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.88 | 5.5 | 3.62 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2 | 5.89 | 3.89 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.2 | 2 | 0.8 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.4 | 2 | 0.6 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher civil liberties rating, France or South Africa?
- France, at 2 against 2 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in civil liberties rating between France and South Africa?
- 0, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and South Africa?
- 53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2025.
- How do France and South Africa rank globally for civil liberties rating?
- France ranks 121st and South Africa ranks 121st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Civil liberties rating. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.