What is the difference in years a country was a european overseas colony between Argentina and South Africa?

22 years, with South Africa ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?

561 years are reported by both, from 1462 to 2022.

Where does this data come from?

Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Years a country was a European overseas colony. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Argentina vs South Africa: Years a country was a European overseas colony

Argentina

240 years

in 2022

South Africa

262 years

in 2022

Argentina rank

40th

South Africa rank

37th

Years a country was a European overseas colony over time

Argentina
South Africa

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 262 years against 240 years in Argentina, a difference of 22 years.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Argentina's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 561 shared years of data; in 1462 it was South Africa ahead.

Argentina ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 37th of 159 countries.

Across the 57 decades both report, Argentina averaged higher in 32 and South Africa in 13.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Argentina	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1460s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1470s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1480s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1490s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1500s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1510s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1520s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1530s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1540s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1550s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1560s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1570s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1580s	5.5 years	0 years	5.5 years	Argentina
1590s	15.5 years	0 years	15.5 years	Argentina
1600s	25.5 years	0 years	25.5 years	Argentina
1610s	35.5 years	0 years	35.5 years	Argentina
1620s	45.5 years	0 years	45.5 years	Argentina
1630s	55.5 years	0 years	55.5 years	Argentina
1640s	65.5 years	0 years	65.5 years	Argentina
1650s	75.5 years	3.6 years	71.9 years	Argentina
1660s	85.5 years	13.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1670s	95.5 years	23.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1680s	105.5 years	33.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1690s	115.5 years	43.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1700s	125.5 years	53.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1710s	135.5 years	63.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1720s	145.5 years	73.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1730s	155.5 years	83.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1740s	165.5 years	93.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1750s	175.5 years	103.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1760s	185.5 years	113.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1770s	195.5 years	123.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1780s	205.5 years	133.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1790s	215.5 years	143.5 years	72 years	Argentina
1800s	225.5 years	152.9 years	72.6 years	Argentina
1810s	235.5 years	157.1 years	78.4 years	Argentina
1820s	240 years	166.5 years	73.5 years	Argentina
1830s	240 years	176.5 years	63.5 years	Argentina
1840s	240 years	186.5 years	53.5 years	Argentina
1850s	240 years	196.5 years	43.5 years	Argentina
1860s	240 years	206.5 years	33.5 years	Argentina
1870s	240 years	216.5 years	23.5 years	Argentina
1880s	240 years	226.5 years	13.5 years	Argentina
1890s	240 years	236.5 years	3.5 years	Argentina
1900s	240 years	246.5 years	6.5 years	South Africa
1910s	240 years	256.5 years	16.5 years	South Africa
1920s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1930s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1940s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1950s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1960s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1970s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1980s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
1990s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
2000s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
2010s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa
2020s	240 years	262 years	22 years	South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher years a country was a european overseas colony, Argentina or South Africa?: South Africa, at 262 years against 240 years in Argentina as of 2022.
What is the difference in years a country was a european overseas colony between Argentina and South Africa?: 22 years, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?: 561 years are reported by both, from 1462 to 2022.
How do Argentina and South Africa rank globally for years a country was a european overseas colony?: Argentina ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 37th of 159 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Years a country was a European overseas colony. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Argentina vs South Africa: Years a country was a European overseas colony. Statizoid, drawing on Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/years-colonized/argentina/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Years a country was a European overseas colony
Unit: years
Source: Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 159 places, 88,747 data points, 1462–2022
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Number of years the country has been colonized from overseas by the European colonial power(s) in a specific year, between Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, or a combination of them.