Statizoid

Civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa

South Africa: Civil liberties rating, gaps filled was 2 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
121st
of 199 countries
All-time high
6
in 1972
All-time low
2
in 1995
Years of data
54
1972–2025

Civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa, 1972–2025

23456197219982025

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

The most recent figure for civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa is 2, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa peaked at 6 in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1995.

That places South Africa 121st out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa, year by year

Year Value Change
1972 6 —
1973 5 -16.7%
1974 5 +0.0%
1975 5 +0.0%
1976 5 +0.0%
1977 6 +20.0%
1978 6 +0.0%
1979 6 +0.0%
1980 6 +0.0%
1981 6 +0.0%
1982 6 +0.0%
1983 6 +0.0%
1984 6 +0.0%
1985 6 +0.0%
1986 6 +0.0%
1987 6 +0.0%
1988 6 +0.0%
1989 5 -16.7%
1990 4 -20.0%
1991 4 +0.0%
1992 4 +0.0%
1993 4 +0.0%
1994 3 -25.0%
1995 2 -33.3%
1996 2 +0.0%
1997 2 +0.0%
1998 2 +0.0%
1999 2 +0.0%
2000 2 +0.0%
2001 2 +0.0%
2002 2 +0.0%
2003 2 +0.0%
2004 2 +0.0%
2005 2 +0.0%
2006 2 +0.0%
2007 2 +0.0%
2008 2 +0.0%
2009 2 +0.0%
2010 2 +0.0%
2011 2 +0.0%
2012 2 +0.0%
2013 2 +0.0%
2014 2 +0.0%
2015 2 +0.0%
2016 2 +0.0%
2017 2 +0.0%
2018 2 +0.0%
2019 2 +0.0%
2020 2 +0.0%
2021 2 +0.0%
2022 2 +0.0%
2023 2 +0.0%
2024 2 +0.0%
2025 2 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.5 5 6 8
1980s 5.9 5 6 10
1990s 2.9 2 4 10
2000s 2 2 2 10
2010s 2 2 2 10
2020s 2 2 2 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 121 Argentina 2 compare
  2. 121 Antigua and Barbuda 2 compare
  3. 121 Bulgaria 2 compare
  4. 121 Bahamas 2 compare
  5. 121 Botswana 2 compare
  6. 121 Cyprus 2 compare
  7. 121 Fiji 2 compare
  8. 121 France 2 compare
  9. 121 Ghana 2 compare
  10. 121 Greece 2 compare
  11. 121 Grenada 2 compare
  12. 121 Guyana 2 compare
  13. 121 Croatia 2 compare
  14. 121 Italy 2 compare
  15. 121 Jamaica 2 compare
  16. 121 Republic of Korea 2 compare
  17. 121 Lithuania 2 compare
  18. 121 Latvia 2 compare
  19. 121 Mongolia 2 compare
  20. 121 Mauritius 2 compare
  21. 121 Namibia 2 compare
  22. 121 Panama 2 compare
  23. 121 Poland 2 compare
  24. 121 Romania 2 compare
  25. 121 Solomon Islands 2 compare
  26. 121 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
  27. 121 Suriname 2 compare
  28. 121 Seychelles 2 compare
  29. 121 Tonga 2 compare
  30. 121 Trinidad and Tobago 2 compare
  31. 121 United States of America 2 compare
  32. 121 Vanuatu 2 compare
  33. 121 Samoa 2 compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa?
Civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa was 2 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest civil liberties rating, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 6 in 1972.
What is the lowest civil liberties rating, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1995.
How does South Africa rank for civil liberties rating, gaps filled?
South Africa ranks 121st out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil liberties rating, gaps filled rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Civil liberties rating, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Civil liberties rating, gaps filled in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/civil-liberties-rating-gaps-filled/south-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

Civil liberties rating with 183 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Civil liberties rating, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
199 places, 10,266 data points, 1972–2025
Last refreshed

Civil liberties rating with 183 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.