New Zealand vs South Africa: Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote
New Zealand
100.0%
in 2025
South Africa
100.0%
in 2025
New Zealand rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 100.0% against 100.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was New Zealand ahead.
New Zealand ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 176 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 100.0% | 0.2% | 99.8% | New Zealand |
| 1910s | 100.0% | 10.0% | 90.0% | New Zealand |
| 1920s | 100.0% | 10.0% | 90.0% | New Zealand |
| 1930s | 100.0% | 18.5% | 81.5% | New Zealand |
| 1940s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | New Zealand |
| 1960s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 100.0% | 60.0% | 40.0% | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2010s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2020s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adult citizens who have the right to vote, New Zealand or South Africa?
- New Zealand, at 100.0% against 100.0% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of adult citizens who have the right to vote between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for share of adult citizens who have the right to vote?
- New Zealand ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adult citizens which have the legal right to vote in national elections.