Belgium vs South Africa: Competitive elections

Belgium
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
Belgium rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st

Competitive elections over time

  • Belgium
  • South Africa
00.20.40.60.81178919072025

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 1 against 1 in South Africa, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Belgium ahead.

Belgium ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 197 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium South Africa Difference Ahead
1900s 1 0 1 Belgium
1910s 0.7 1 0.3 South Africa
1920s 1 1 0
1930s 1 1 0
1940s 0.5 1 0.5 South Africa
1950s 1 0 1 Belgium
1960s 1 0 1 Belgium
1970s 1 0 1 Belgium
1980s 1 0 1 Belgium
1990s 1 0.6 0.4 Belgium
2000s 1 1 0
2010s 1 1 0
2020s 1 1 0

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher competitive elections, Belgium or South Africa?
Belgium, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in competitive elections between Belgium and South Africa?
0, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and South Africa?
126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Belgium and South Africa rank globally for competitive elections?
Belgium ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Competitive elections. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Competitive elections
Source
Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
198 places, 32,485 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Whether the outcomes of elections are uncertain because their timing is not violated, voters are not systematically coerced, and election fraud is not consequential.