South Africa vs Western Sahara: Chief executive of the government is elected
South Africa
1
in 2025
Western Sahara
1
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Western Sahara rank
1st
Chief executive of the government is elected over time
- South Africa
- Western Sahara
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1 against 1 in Western Sahara, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1963 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 1st and Western Sahara ranks 1st of 198 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1 | 0 | 1 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher chief executive of the government is elected, South Africa or Western Sahara?
- South Africa, at 1 against 1 in Western Sahara as of 2025.
- What is the difference in chief executive of the government is elected between South Africa and Western Sahara?
- 0, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Western Sahara?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1963 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Western Sahara rank globally for chief executive of the government is elected?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Western Sahara ranks 1st of 198 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Chief executive of the government is elected. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The variable indicates whether some citizens directly or indirectly elect the chief executive. It considers political system which do not govern themselves — such as due to external interventions, occupations, or colonization — as not holding executive elections.