Civil society participation index in South Africa

South Africa: Civil society participation index was 0.776 in 2025. β–² Rising

Latest (2025)
0.776
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
61st
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.888
in 1996
All-time low
0.33
in 1948
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Civil society participation index in South Africa, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.8190019622025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.776 for civil society participation index in 2025.

The figure is down 7.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil society participation index in South Africa peaked at 0.888 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.33, in 1948.

South Africa ranks 61st of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.361 0.361 0.361 10
1910s 0.3785 0.361 0.386 10
1920s 0.386 0.386 0.386 10
1930s 0.395 0.395 0.395 10
1940s 0.3806 0.33 0.395 10
1950s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1960s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1970s 0.3426 0.33 0.372 10
1980s 0.38 0.38 0.38 10
1990s 0.7911 0.663 0.888 10
2000s 0.8609 0.859 0.866 10
2010s 0.8428 0.817 0.859 10
2020s 0.775 0.774 0.776 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 58 Guinea-Bissau 0.78 compare
  2. 59 Czechia 0.777 compare
  3. 59 Jamaica 0.777 compare
  4. 62 Chile 0.775 compare
  5. 63 Guyana 0.768 compare
  6. 64 Guatemala 0.761 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places β†’

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is civil society participation index in South Africa?
Civil society participation index in South Africa was 0.776 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest civil society participation index recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.888 in 1996.
What is the lowest civil society participation index recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.33 in 1948.
How does South Africa rank for civil society participation index?
South Africa ranks 61st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil society participation index rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Civil society participation index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Civil society participation index in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/civil-society-participation-index/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Civil society participation index
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,063 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed