Malawi vs South Africa: Free country
Malawi
2
in 2025
South Africa
2
in 2025
Malawi rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Free country over time
- Malawi
- South Africa
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 2 against 2 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
Across all 53 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 199 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 0.875 | 0.875 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0 | 0.8889 | 0.8889 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.5 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1 | 2 | 1 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1 | 2 | 1 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.17 | 2 | 0.8333 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher free country, Malawi or South Africa?
- Malawi, at 2 against 2 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in free country between Malawi and South Africa?
- 0, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
- 53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2025.
- How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for free country?
- Malawi ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Free country. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The variable identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between free countries (score 2), partly free countries (score 1), and not free countries (score 0).