Common Good Justifications Score in South Africa

South Africa: Common Good Justifications Score was 0.013 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.013
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
129th
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.85
in 1996
All-time low
-0.665
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Common Good Justifications Score in South Africa, 1900–2025

-10123190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, common good justifications score in South Africa stood at 0.013.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 98.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, common good justifications score in South Africa peaked at 2.85 in 1996 and was at its lowest, -0.665, in 1900.

That places South Africa 129th out of 175 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1910s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1920s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1930s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1940s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1950s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1960s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1970s -0.665 -0.665 -0.665 10
1980s -0.6483 -0.665 -0.498 10
1990s 1.48 0.449 2.85 10
2000s 1.27 1.21 1.28 10
2010s 1.11 0.896 1.32 10
2020s 0.3327 0.013 0.645 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 126 Haiti 0.045 compare
  2. 127 Guatemala 0.036 compare
  3. 128 Iran 0.032 compare
  4. 130 Slovakia -0.005 compare
  5. 131 New Zealand -0.006 compare
  6. 132 Solomon Islands -0.012 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is common good justifications score in South Africa?
Common good justifications score in South Africa was 0.013 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest common good justifications score recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.85 in 1996.
What is the lowest common good justifications score recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -0.665 in 1900.
How does South Africa rank for common good justifications score?
South Africa ranks 129th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is common good justifications score rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 98.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Common Good Justifications Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Common Good Justifications Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 20,802 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which political elites justify their views with the common good for society, either the greatest good for the greatest number of people or as helping the least advantaged people in society when considering important policy changes.