Iceland vs South Africa: Competitive elections
Iceland
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
Iceland rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- Iceland
- South Africa
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 1 against 1 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.
Iceland ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 0.2 | 1 | 0.8 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1950s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Iceland |
| 1960s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Iceland |
| 1970s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Iceland |
| 1980s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Iceland |
| 1990s | 1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Iceland |
| 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, Iceland or South Africa?
- Iceland, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between Iceland and South Africa?
- 0, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for competitive elections?
- Iceland 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
Whether the outcomes of elections are uncertain because their timing is not violated, voters are not systematically coerced, and election fraud is not consequential.