Netherlands vs South Africa: Competitive elections
Netherlands
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
Netherlands rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- Netherlands
- South Africa
How they compare
Netherlands 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 Netherlands ahead.
Netherlands ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1910s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 0.4 | 1 | 0.6 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1960s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1970s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1980s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Netherlands |
| 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, Netherlands or South Africa?
- Netherlands, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between Netherlands and South Africa?
- 0, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for competitive elections?
- Netherlands 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.