South Africa vs Tanzania: Rule of law index
South Africa
0.694
in 2025
Tanzania
0.712
in 2025
South Africa rank
70th
Tanzania rank
67th
Rule of law index over time
- South Africa
- Tanzania
How they compare
Tanzania currently reports 0.712 against 0.694 in South Africa, a difference of 0.018.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 112 shared years of data; in 1914 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 70th and Tanzania ranks 67th of 176 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 6 and Tanzania in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tanzania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.405 | 0.351 | 0.054 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 0.405 | 0.351 | 0.054 | South Africa |
| 1930s | 0.405 | 0.351 | 0.054 | South Africa |
| 1940s | 0.4117 | 0.351 | 0.0607 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0.384 | 0.351 | 0.033 | South Africa |
| 1960s | 0.39 | 0.7841 | 0.3941 | Tanzania |
| 1970s | 0.386 | 0.842 | 0.456 | Tanzania |
| 1980s | 0.3973 | 0.7742 | 0.3769 | Tanzania |
| 1990s | 0.6284 | 0.6573 | 0.0289 | Tanzania |
| 2000s | 0.7682 | 0.656 | 0.1122 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.6999 | 0.7063 | 0.0064 | Tanzania |
| 2020s | 0.7052 | 0.7777 | 0.0725 | Tanzania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, South Africa or Tanzania?
- Tanzania, at 0.712 against 0.694 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between South Africa and Tanzania?
- 0.018, with Tanzania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tanzania?
- 112 years are reported by both, from 1914 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Tanzania rank globally for rule of law index?
- South Africa ranks 70th and Tanzania ranks 67th 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.