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

8 years, with South Africa ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritius 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.

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

Mauritius

254 years

in 2022

South Africa

262 years

in 2022

Mauritius rank

38th

South Africa rank

37th

Years a country was a European overseas colony over time

Mauritius
South Africa

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 262 years against 254 years in Mauritius, a difference of 8 years.

Across all 561 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Mauritius ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 37th of 159 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 57 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Mauritius	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	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1590s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1600s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1610s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1620s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1630s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1640s	0 years	0 years	0 years	—
1650s	0 years	3.6 years	3.6 years	South Africa
1660s	0 years	13.5 years	13.5 years	South Africa
1670s	0 years	23.5 years	23.5 years	South Africa
1680s	0 years	33.5 years	33.5 years	South Africa
1690s	0 years	43.5 years	43.5 years	South Africa
1700s	0 years	53.5 years	53.5 years	South Africa
1710s	1.5 years	63.5 years	62 years	South Africa
1720s	10.5 years	73.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1730s	20.5 years	83.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1740s	30.5 years	93.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1750s	40.5 years	103.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1760s	50.5 years	113.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1770s	60.5 years	123.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1780s	70.5 years	133.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1790s	80.5 years	143.5 years	63 years	South Africa
1800s	90.5 years	152.9 years	62.4 years	South Africa
1810s	100.5 years	157.1 years	56.6 years	South Africa
1820s	110.5 years	166.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1830s	120.5 years	176.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1840s	130.5 years	186.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1850s	140.5 years	196.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1860s	150.5 years	206.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1870s	160.5 years	216.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1880s	170.5 years	226.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1890s	180.5 years	236.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1900s	190.5 years	246.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1910s	200.5 years	256.5 years	56 years	South Africa
1920s	210.5 years	262 years	51.5 years	South Africa
1930s	220.5 years	262 years	41.5 years	South Africa
1940s	230.5 years	262 years	31.5 years	South Africa
1950s	240.5 years	262 years	21.5 years	South Africa
1960s	250.4 years	262 years	11.6 years	South Africa
1970s	254 years	262 years	8 years	South Africa
1980s	254 years	262 years	8 years	South Africa
1990s	254 years	262 years	8 years	South Africa
2000s	254 years	262 years	8 years	South Africa
2010s	254 years	262 years	8 years	South Africa
2020s	254 years	262 years	8 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, Mauritius or South Africa?: South Africa, at 262 years against 254 years in Mauritius as of 2022.
What is the difference in years a country was a european overseas colony between Mauritius and South Africa?: 8 years, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritius and South Africa?: 561 years are reported by both, from 1462 to 2022.
How do Mauritius and South Africa rank globally for years a country was a european overseas colony?: Mauritius ranks 38th 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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Mauritius 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/mauritius/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.