Costa Rica vs South Africa: Trust in government
Costa Rica
49.5%
in 2024
South Africa
47.5%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
15th
South Africa rank
17th
Trust in government over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 49.5% against 47.5% in South Africa, a difference of 2.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 7 shared years of data; in 2007 it was South Africa ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 17th of 47 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.5% | 63.0% | 21.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 36.5% | 51.1% | 14.6% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 45.1% | 47.8% | 2.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher trust in government, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- Costa Rica, at 49.5% against 47.5% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in trust in government between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 2.0%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for trust in government?
- Costa Rica ranks 15th 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?"