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