Costa Rica vs South Africa: Chief executive of the government is elected
Costa Rica
1
in 2025
South Africa
1
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Chief executive of the government is elected over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 1 against 1 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 198 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Costa Rica |
| 1910s | 0.8 | 1 | 0.2 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 0.9 | 1 | 0.1 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1960s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 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 chief executive of the government is elected, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- Costa Rica, at 1 against 1 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in chief executive of the government is elected between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 0, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for chief executive of the government is elected?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 198 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Chief executive of the government is elected. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The variable indicates whether some citizens directly or indirectly elect the chief executive. It considers political system which do not govern themselves — such as due to external interventions, occupations, or colonization — as not holding executive elections.