Botswana vs South Africa: Age of liberal democracy
Botswana
22 years
in 2020
South Africa
17 years
in 2012
Botswana rank
30th
South Africa rank
33rd
Age of liberal democracy over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 22 years against 17 years in South Africa, a difference of 5 years.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
Across all 14 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Botswana ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 47 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 years | 4 years | 3 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 6.5 years | 9.5 years | 3 years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 13 years | 16 years | 3 years | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher age of liberal democracy, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 22 years against 17 years in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in age of liberal democracy between Botswana and South Africa?
- 5 years, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2012.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for age of liberal democracy?
- Botswana ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 47 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Age of liberal democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.