Malaysia vs South Africa: Rule of law index
Malaysia
0.698
in 2025
South Africa
0.694
in 2025
Malaysia rank
68th
South Africa rank
70th
Rule of law index over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 0.698 against 0.694 in South Africa, a difference of 0.004.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Malaysia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 68th and South Africa ranks 70th of 176 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 9 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.656 | 0.405 | 0.251 | Malaysia |
| 1910s | 0.656 | 0.405 | 0.251 | Malaysia |
| 1920s | 0.656 | 0.405 | 0.251 | Malaysia |
| 1930s | 0.656 | 0.405 | 0.251 | Malaysia |
| 1940s | 0.5355 | 0.4117 | 0.1238 | Malaysia |
| 1950s | 0.718 | 0.384 | 0.334 | Malaysia |
| 1960s | 0.7214 | 0.39 | 0.3314 | Malaysia |
| 1970s | 0.6472 | 0.386 | 0.2612 | Malaysia |
| 1980s | 0.4979 | 0.3973 | 0.1006 | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 0.4166 | 0.6284 | 0.2118 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.4264 | 0.7682 | 0.3418 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.5026 | 0.6999 | 0.1973 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.6673 | 0.7052 | 0.0378 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 0.698 against 0.694 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 0.004, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for rule of law index?
- Malaysia ranks 68th and South Africa ranks 70th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Rule of law index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.