Which has higher freedom of expression index, South Africa or Taiwan?

Taiwan, at 0.838 against 0.837 in South Africa as of 2025.

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

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

South Africa vs Taiwan: Freedom of Expression Index

South Africa

0.837

in 2025

Taiwan

0.838

in 2025

South Africa rank

51st

Taiwan rank

49th

Freedom of Expression Index over time

South Africa
Taiwan

How they compare

Taiwan currently reports 0.838 against 0.837 in South Africa, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 51st and Taiwan ranks 49th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 9 and Taiwan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Africa	Taiwan	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.417	0.07	0.347	South Africa
1910s	0.416	0.071	0.345	South Africa
1920s	0.416	0.0721	0.3439	South Africa
1930s	0.416	0.0723	0.3437	South Africa
1940s	0.395	0.0637	0.3313	South Africa
1950s	0.337	0.0642	0.2728	South Africa
1960s	0.2969	0.0954	0.2015	South Africa
1970s	0.2719	0.1235	0.1484	South Africa
1980s	0.2507	0.2677	0.017	Taiwan
1990s	0.6855	0.6468	0.0387	South Africa
2000s	0.8761	0.9204	0.0443	Taiwan
2010s	0.8713	0.9097	0.0384	Taiwan
2020s	0.8472	0.863	0.0158	Taiwan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, South Africa or Taiwan?: Taiwan, at 0.838 against 0.837 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between South Africa and Taiwan?: 0.001, with Taiwan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Taiwan?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Africa and Taiwan rank globally for freedom of expression index?: South Africa ranks 51st and Taiwan ranks 49th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

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South Africa vs Taiwan: Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/south-africa/taiwan/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.