Ghana vs South Africa: Age of liberal democracy

Ghana
12 years
in 2014
South Africa
17 years
in 2012
Ghana rank
34th
South Africa rank
33rd

Age of liberal democracy over time

  • Ghana
  • South Africa
051015199620052014

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 17 years against 12 years in Ghana, a difference of 5 years.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Ghana's.

Across all 10 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Ghana ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 47 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ghana South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 4 years 11 years 7 years South Africa
2010s 9 years 16 years 7 years South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher age of liberal democracy, Ghana or South Africa?
South Africa, at 17 years against 12 years in Ghana as of 2012.
What is the difference in age of liberal democracy between Ghana and South Africa?
5 years, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2012.
How do Ghana and South Africa rank globally for age of liberal democracy?
Ghana ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 33rd of 47 countries.
Where does this data come from?
V-Dem (2026) – 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.

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Ghana vs South Africa: Age of liberal democracy. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/age-of-liberal-democracy-row/ghana/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Age of liberal democracy
Unit
years
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
47 places, 2,559 data points, 1849–2025
Last refreshed

Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.