South Africa vs USSR: Competitive elections

South Africa
1
in 2025
USSR
0
in 1990
South Africa rank
1st
USSR rank
1st

Competitive elections over time

  • South Africa
  • USSR
00.20.40.60.81190019622025

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1 against 0 in USSR, a difference of 1.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 69 shared years of data; in 1922 it was South Africa ahead.

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

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa USSR Difference Ahead
1920s 1 0 1 South Africa
1930s 1 0 1 South Africa
1940s 1 0 1 South Africa
1950s 0 0 0
1960s 0 0 0
1970s 0 0 0
1980s 0 0 0
1990s 0 0 0

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher competitive elections, South Africa or USSR?
South Africa, at 1 against 0 in USSR as of 2025.
What is the difference in competitive elections between South Africa and USSR?
1, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and USSR?
69 years are reported by both, from 1922 to 1990.
How do South Africa and USSR rank globally for competitive elections?
South Africa ranks 1st and USSR 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.