Jamaica vs South Africa: Competitive elections

Jamaica
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
Jamaica rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st

Competitive elections over time

  • Jamaica
  • South Africa
00.20.40.60.81188419542025

How they compare

Jamaica 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.

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

Across the 13 decades both report, Jamaica averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Jamaica South Africa Difference Ahead
1900s 0 0 0 β€”
1910s 0 1 1 South Africa
1920s 0 1 1 South Africa
1930s 0 1 1 South Africa
1940s 0 1 1 South Africa
1950s 0 0 0 β€”
1960s 0.8 0 0.8 Jamaica
1970s 1 0 1 Jamaica
1980s 1 0 1 Jamaica
1990s 1 0.6 0.4 Jamaica
2000s 1 1 0 β€”
2010s 1 1 0 β€”
2020s 1 1 0 β€”

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher competitive elections, Jamaica or South Africa?
Jamaica, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in competitive elections between Jamaica and South Africa?
0, with Jamaica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Jamaica and South Africa?
126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Jamaica and South Africa rank globally for competitive elections?
Jamaica 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.