South Africa vs Zambia: Competitive elections
South Africa
1
in 2025
Zambia
1
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Zambia rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1 against 1 in Zambia, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 115 shared years of data; in 1911 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 1st and Zambia ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 6 and Zambia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 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 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | Zambia |
| 2000s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1 | 0.8333 | 0.1667 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher competitive elections, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa, at 1 against 1 in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for competitive elections?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Zambia 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.