South Africa vs United States of America: Government Effectiveness Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index
South Africa
0.743
in 2025
United States of America
0.735
in 2025
South Africa rank
42nd
United States of America rank
45th
Government Effectiveness Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.743 against 0.735 in United States of America, a difference of 0.008.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was United States of America ahead.
South Africa ranks 42nd and United States of America ranks 45th of 175 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.156 | 0.4198 | 0.2638 | United States of America |
| 1910s | 0.2207 | 0.4177 | 0.197 | United States of America |
| 1920s | 0.2251 | 0.5249 | 0.2998 | United States of America |
| 1930s | 0.2335 | 0.553 | 0.3195 | United States of America |
| 1940s | 0.2284 | 0.5732 | 0.3448 | United States of America |
| 1950s | 0.1963 | 0.6117 | 0.4154 | United States of America |
| 1960s | 0.1667 | 0.6794 | 0.5127 | United States of America |
| 1970s | 0.164 | 0.7771 | 0.6131 | United States of America |
| 1980s | 0.1758 | 0.8573 | 0.6815 | United States of America |
| 1990s | 0.4748 | 0.8683 | 0.3935 | United States of America |
| 2000s | 0.7622 | 0.8661 | 0.1039 | United States of America |
| 2010s | 0.7576 | 0.8759 | 0.1183 | United States of America |
| 2020s | 0.7252 | 0.8173 | 0.0922 | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government effectiveness index vs. electoral democracy index, South Africa or United States of America?
- South Africa, at 0.743 against 0.735 in United States of America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in government effectiveness index vs. electoral democracy index between South Africa and United States of America?
- 0.008, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for government effectiveness index vs. electoral democracy index?
- South Africa ranks 42nd and United States of America ranks 45th of 175 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Government Effectiveness Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.