Malta vs South Africa: Freedom of expression index
Malta
0.829
in 2025
South Africa
0.837
in 2025
Malta rank
54th
South Africa rank
51st
Freedom of expression index over time
- Malta
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.837 against 0.829 in Malta, a difference of 0.008.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Malta ahead.
Malta ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 176 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Malta averaged higher in 10 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malta | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.807 | 0.417 | 0.39 | Malta |
| 1910s | 0.807 | 0.416 | 0.391 | Malta |
| 1920s | 0.7917 | 0.416 | 0.3757 | Malta |
| 1930s | 0.79 | 0.416 | 0.374 | Malta |
| 1940s | 0.8023 | 0.395 | 0.4073 | Malta |
| 1950s | 0.831 | 0.337 | 0.494 | Malta |
| 1960s | 0.8211 | 0.2969 | 0.5242 | Malta |
| 1970s | 0.8001 | 0.2719 | 0.5282 | Malta |
| 1980s | 0.8221 | 0.2507 | 0.5714 | Malta |
| 1990s | 0.876 | 0.6855 | 0.1905 | Malta |
| 2000s | 0.8746 | 0.8761 | 0.0015 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.8289 | 0.8713 | 0.0424 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.826 | 0.8472 | 0.0212 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher freedom of expression index, Malta or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.837 against 0.829 in Malta as of 2025.
- What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Malta and South Africa?
- 0.008, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Malta and South Africa rank globally for freedom of expression index?
- Malta ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Freedom of expression index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.