South Africa vs East Timor: Freedom of expression index
South Africa
0.837
in 2025
East Timor
0.838
in 2025
South Africa rank
51st
East Timor rank
49th
Freedom of expression index over time
- South Africa
- East Timor
How they compare
East Timor currently reports 0.838 against 0.837 in South Africa, a difference of 0.001.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 51st and East Timor ranks 49th of 176 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | East Timor | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.417 | 0.048 | 0.369 | South Africa |
| 1910s | 0.416 | 0.051 | 0.365 | South Africa |
| 1920s | 0.416 | 0.0486 | 0.3674 | South Africa |
| 1930s | 0.416 | 0.045 | 0.371 | South Africa |
| 1940s | 0.395 | 0.0422 | 0.3528 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0.337 | 0.045 | 0.292 | South Africa |
| 1960s | 0.2969 | 0.052 | 0.2449 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 0.2719 | 0.083 | 0.1889 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.2507 | 0.049 | 0.2017 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.6855 | 0.086 | 0.5995 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.8761 | 0.8175 | 0.0586 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.8713 | 0.8145 | 0.0568 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.8472 | 0.8083 | 0.0388 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher freedom of expression index, South Africa or East Timor?
- East Timor, 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 East Timor?
- 0.001, with East Timor ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and East Timor?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and East Timor rank globally for freedom of expression index?
- South Africa ranks 51st and East Timor 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.