Iceland vs South Africa: Engaged Society Score

Iceland
1.88
in 2025
South Africa
1.9
in 2025
Iceland rank
34th
South Africa rank
33rd

Engaged Society Score over time

  • Iceland
  • South Africa
-1012190019622025

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.9 against 1.88 in Iceland, a difference of 0.02.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 11 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland South Africa Difference Ahead
1900s 1.24 0.017 1.22 Iceland
1910s 1.24 0.2943 0.9437 Iceland
1920s 1.67 0.306 1.37 Iceland
1930s 1.68 0.306 1.38 Iceland
1940s 1.68 0.1076 1.58 Iceland
1950s 1.68 -0.686 2.37 Iceland
1960s 1.68 -0.686 2.37 Iceland
1970s 1.68 -0.686 2.37 Iceland
1980s 1.68 -0.392 2.08 Iceland
1990s 1.68 1.66 0.0266 Iceland
2000s 1.69 1.88 0.1979 South Africa
2010s 1.57 1.62 0.0464 South Africa
2020s 1.85 1.85 0.0097 Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher engaged society score, Iceland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.9 against 1.88 in Iceland as of 2025.
What is the difference in engaged society score between Iceland and South Africa?
0.02, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for engaged society score?
Iceland ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Engaged Society Score. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Engaged Society Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,403 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which ordinary people independently discuss important policy changes among themselves, in the media, in associations or neighborhoods, or in the streets.