South Africa vs Switzerland: Comparative advantage in environmental goods
Comparative advantage in environmental goods over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.742 index against 0.6749 index in Switzerland, a difference of 0.0671 index.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Switzerland's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Switzerland ahead.
South Africa ranks 41st and Switzerland ranks 44th of 163 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.51 index | 1.42 index | 0.0878 index | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.9529 index | 0.8523 index | 0.1006 index | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher comparative advantage in environmental goods, South Africa or Switzerland?
- South Africa, at 0.742 index against 0.6749 index in Switzerland as of 2019.
- What is the difference in comparative advantage in environmental goods between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.0671 index, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2019.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for comparative advantage in environmental goods?
- South Africa ranks 41st and Switzerland ranks 44th of 163 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IMF Climate Change Dashboard. Data sources: UN Comtrade, DESA/UNSD; IMF staff calculations, published as Comparative advantage in environmental goods (index). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Environmental goods include both goods connected to environmental protection—such as goods related to pollution management and resource management—and adapted goods—which are goods that have been specifically modified to be more “environmentally friendly” or “cleaner.” Comparative advantage is a measure of the relative advantage or disadvantage a particular country has in a certain class of goods (in this case, environmental goods), and can be used to evaluate export potential in that class of goods. Environmental goods include both goods connected to environmental protection—such as goods related to pollution management and resource management—and adapted goods—which are goods that have been specifically modified to be more “environmentally friendly” or “cleaner.” A value greater than one indicates a relative advantage in environmental goods, while a value of less than one indicates a relative disadvantage.