Nigeria vs South Africa: Private civil liberties index
Nigeria
0.848
in 2025
South Africa
0.86
in 2025
Nigeria rank
54th
South Africa rank
51st
Private civil liberties index over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.86 against 0.848 in Nigeria, a difference of 0.012.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 112 shared years of data; in 1914 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 176 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 9 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.585 | 0.114 | 0.471 | Nigeria |
| 1920s | 0.5874 | 0.114 | 0.4734 | Nigeria |
| 1930s | 0.589 | 0.114 | 0.475 | Nigeria |
| 1940s | 0.603 | 0.1104 | 0.4926 | Nigeria |
| 1950s | 0.6115 | 0.089 | 0.5225 | Nigeria |
| 1960s | 0.7378 | 0.089 | 0.6488 | Nigeria |
| 1970s | 0.759 | 0.088 | 0.671 | Nigeria |
| 1980s | 0.7704 | 0.0986 | 0.6718 | Nigeria |
| 1990s | 0.7674 | 0.5527 | 0.2147 | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 0.8001 | 0.843 | 0.0429 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.8014 | 0.8632 | 0.0618 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.827 | 0.8383 | 0.0113 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher private civil liberties index, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.86 against 0.848 in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in private civil liberties index between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 0.012, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 112 years are reported by both, from 1914 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for private civil liberties index?
- Nigeria ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Private civil liberties index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.