Gambia vs South Africa: Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government
Gambia
94.7%
in 2025
South Africa
94.8%
in 2025
Gambia rank
101st
South Africa rank
98th
Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government over time
- Gambia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 94.8% against 94.7% in Gambia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Gambia ahead.
Gambia ranks 101st and South Africa ranks 98th of 174 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Gambia averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Gambia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 97.2% | 88.5% | 8.7% | Gambia |
| 1970s | 97.2% | 88.5% | 8.7% | Gambia |
| 1980s | 97.2% | 88.5% | 8.7% | Gambia |
| 1990s | 97.2% | 91.4% | 5.9% | Gambia |
| 2000s | 97.2% | 96.6% | 0.7% | Gambia |
| 2010s | 97.2% | 96.0% | 1.3% | Gambia |
| 2020s | 94.4% | 96.9% | 2.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher percentage of territory effectively controlled by government, Gambia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 94.8% against 94.7% in Gambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in percentage of territory effectively controlled by government between Gambia and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Gambia and South Africa?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Gambia and South Africa rank globally for percentage of territory effectively controlled by government?
- Gambia ranks 101st and South Africa ranks 98th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the percentage of territory controlled by the government.