Australia vs South Africa: Trust in government
Australia
49.0%
in 2024
South Africa
47.5%
in 2024
Australia rank
16th
South Africa rank
17th
Trust in government over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
Australia currently reports 49.0% against 47.5% in South Africa, a difference of 1.5%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 7 shared years of data; in 2007 it was South Africa ahead.
Australia ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 17th of 47 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.0% | 63.0% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 50.5% | 51.1% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 49.0% | 47.8% | 1.2% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher trust in government, Australia or South Africa?
- Australia, at 49.0% against 47.5% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in trust in government between Australia and South Africa?
- 1.5%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for trust in government?
- Australia ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 17th of 47 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Trust in government. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of respondents replying "yes" to the question "In this country, do you have confidence in national government, or not?"