South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Competitive elections
South Africa
1
in 2025
Sri Lanka
1
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Sri Lanka rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1 against 1 in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 1st and Sri Lanka ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 5 and Sri Lanka in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1930s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1940s | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0 | 1 | 1 | Sri Lanka |
| 1960s | 0 | 1 | 1 | Sri Lanka |
| 1970s | 0 | 1 | 1 | Sri Lanka |
| 1980s | 0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 0.6 | 1 | 0.4 | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher competitive elections, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 1 against 1 in Sri Lanka as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 0, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for competitive elections?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Sri Lanka 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.