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?
- 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.