Sao Tome and Principe vs South Africa: Free country
Sao Tome and Principe
2
in 2025
South Africa
2
in 2025
Sao Tome and Principe rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Free country over time
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Africa
How they compare
Sao Tome and Principe currently reports 2 against 2 in South Africa, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Africa ahead.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 199 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Sao Tome and Principe averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sao Tome and Principe | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4 | 1 | 0.6 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0 | 0.8889 | 0.8889 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | Sao Tome and Principe |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher free country, Sao Tome and Principe or South Africa?
- Sao Tome and Principe, at 2 against 2 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in free country between Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 0, with Sao Tome and Principe ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2025.
- How do Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa rank globally for free country?
- Sao Tome and Principe 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).