Sierra Leone vs South Africa: Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote
Sierra Leone
100.0%
in 2025
South Africa
100.0%
in 2025
Sierra Leone rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote over time
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
How they compare
Sierra Leone currently reports 100.0% against 100.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.
Sierra Leone ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 176 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Sierra Leone averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sierra Leone | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1910s | 0.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 1920s | 2.5% | 10.0% | 7.5% | South Africa |
| 1930s | 5.0% | 18.5% | 13.5% | South Africa |
| 1940s | 5.0% | 20.0% | 15.0% | South Africa |
| 1950s | 27.0% | 20.0% | 7.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 1960s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 1970s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 1980s | 100.0% | 20.0% | 80.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 1990s | 100.0% | 60.0% | 40.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 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, Sierra Leone or South Africa?
- Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with Sierra Leone ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Sierra Leone and South Africa rank globally for share of adult citizens who have the right to vote?
- Sierra Leone 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.