South Africa vs East Timor: Free country
South Africa
2
in 2025
East Timor
2
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
East Timor rank
1st
Free country over time
- South Africa
- East Timor
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2 against 2 in East Timor, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 27 shared years of data; in 1999 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 1st and East Timor ranks 1st of 199 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | East Timor | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2 | 1 | 1 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2 | 1 | 1 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2 | 1.3 | 0.7 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher free country, South Africa or East Timor?
- South Africa, at 2 against 2 in East Timor as of 2025.
- What is the difference in free country between South Africa and East Timor?
- 0, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and East Timor?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and East Timor rank globally for free country?
- South Africa ranks 1st and East Timor 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).