South Korea vs South Africa: Competitive elections
South Korea
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
South Korea rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- South Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1 against 1 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 78 shared years of data; in 1948 it was South Africa ahead.
South Korea ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0 | 1 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1960s | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | South Korea |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | South Korea |
| 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, South Korea or South Africa?
- South Korea, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between South Korea and South Africa?
- 0, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and South Africa?
- 78 years are reported by both, from 1948 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and South Africa rank globally for competitive elections?
- South Korea 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.