South Africa vs Taiwan: Free country
South Africa
2
in 2025
Taiwan
2
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Taiwan rank
1st
Free country over time
- South Africa
- Taiwan
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2 against 2 in Taiwan, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 53 shared years of data; in 1972 it was Taiwan ahead.
South Africa ranks 1st and Taiwan ranks 1st of 199 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Taiwan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Taiwan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.875 | 0.5 | 0.375 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.8889 | 1 | 0.1111 | Taiwan |
| 1990s | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | South Africa |
| 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, South Africa or Taiwan?
- South Africa, at 2 against 2 in Taiwan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in free country between South Africa and Taiwan?
- 0, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Taiwan?
- 53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Taiwan rank globally for free country?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Taiwan 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).