Which has higher respect for counterarguments score, South Africa or Sweden?

South Africa, at 1.59 against 1.56 in Sweden as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Respect for Counterarguments Score. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

South Africa vs Sweden: Respect for Counterarguments Score

South Africa

1.59

in 2025

Sweden

1.56

in 2025

South Africa rank

20th

Sweden rank

21st

Respect for Counterarguments Score over time

South Africa
Sweden

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.59 against 1.56 in Sweden, a difference of 0.03.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Sweden ahead.

South Africa ranks 20th and Sweden ranks 21st of 175 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Africa	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.258	0.7171	0.4591	Sweden
1910s	0.4866	0.8371	0.3505	Sweden
1920s	0.512	1.08	0.5674	Sweden
1930s	0.512	1.2	0.6875	Sweden
1940s	0.4902	1.09	0.6014	Sweden
1950s	0.3918	2.13	1.74	Sweden
1960s	0.291	2.2	1.91	Sweden
1970s	0.291	2.47	2.18	Sweden
1980s	0.3998	2.7	2.31	Sweden
1990s	1.25	2.42	1.17	Sweden
2000s	1.45	2.11	0.6579	Sweden
2010s	1.17	2.03	0.8569	Sweden
2020s	1.47	1.74	0.2755	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher respect for counterarguments score, South Africa or Sweden?: South Africa, at 1.59 against 1.56 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in respect for counterarguments score between South Africa and Sweden?: 0.03, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for respect for counterarguments score?: South Africa ranks 20th and Sweden ranks 21st of 175 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Respect for Counterarguments Score. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Respect for Counterarguments Score
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 20,802 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political elites acknowledge and respect counterarguments when considering important policy changes.