Lesotho vs South Africa: Strong civil society index
Lesotho
0.921
in 2025
South Africa
0.916
in 2025
Lesotho rank
19th
South Africa rank
20th
Strong civil society index over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
Lesotho currently reports 0.921 against 0.916 in South Africa, a difference of 0.005.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.
Lesotho ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 20th of 176 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Lesotho averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 10.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.259 | 0.496 | 0.237 | South Africa |
| 1910s | 0.259 | 0.48 | 0.221 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 0.259 | 0.48 | 0.221 | South Africa |
| 1930s | 0.259 | 0.48 | 0.221 | South Africa |
| 1940s | 0.259 | 0.4388 | 0.1798 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0.259 | 0.258 | 0.001 | Lesotho |
| 1960s | 0.285 | 0.258 | 0.027 | Lesotho |
| 1970s | 0.2347 | 0.2625 | 0.0278 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.4593 | 0.282 | 0.1773 | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 0.7447 | 0.8271 | 0.0824 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.8372 | 0.98 | 0.1428 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.8489 | 0.9419 | 0.093 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.8998 | 0.9127 | 0.0128 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher strong civil society index, Lesotho or South Africa?
- Lesotho, at 0.921 against 0.916 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in strong civil society index between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 0.005, with Lesotho ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for strong civil society index?
- Lesotho ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 20th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Strong civil society index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.