Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in South Africa
South Africa: Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate in South Africa, 1996–2025
Source: The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG). Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
Analysis
South Africa recorded -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 for government effectiveness - governance estimate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 85.2% on the previous year and down 106.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government effectiveness - governance estimate in South Africa peaked at 0.573 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 1996 and was at its lowest, -0.1559 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2024.
That places South Africa 109th out of 206 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.
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0.573 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | 0.2807 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -51.0% |
| 2000 | 0.4255 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +51.6% |
| 2002 | 0.3933 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -7.6% |
| 2003 | 0.4192 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 0.4436 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 0.4592 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 0.3612 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -21.3% |
| 2007 | 0.3193 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 0.4181 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +30.9% |
| 2009 | 0.486 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +16.3% |
| 2010 | 0.4125 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -15.1% |
| 2011 | 0.4259 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 0.4237 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 0.4412 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 0.4425 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 0.3841 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 0.3264 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -15.0% |
| 2017 | 0.3444 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 0.2515 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -27.0% |
| 2019 | 0.2893 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +15.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1938 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -33.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1309 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -32.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0755 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -42.3% |
| 2023 | -0.1046 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -238.5% |
| 2024 | -0.1559 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +49.0% |
| 2025 | -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -85.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 1.0× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.793 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 3% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -238.5% | 0.0755 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.1046 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4268 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.2807 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.573 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.4139 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.3193 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.486 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.3742 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.2515 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.4425 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0195 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.1559 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.1938 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government effectiveness - governance estimate in South Africa?
- Government effectiveness - governance estimate in South Africa was -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG).
- What is the highest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.573 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 1996.
- What is the lowest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1559 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for government effectiveness - governance estimate?
- South Africa ranks 109th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government effectiveness - governance estimate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 106.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG), published as part of Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Government Effectiveness (GE) captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the civil service, policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of a government’s decisions. Governance estimate from the aggregation model, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5. Larger values correspond to better governance. The (country-series-time) metadata include the (a) number of sources, and (b) standard error. The number of sources indicates the number of underlying data sources on which the governance estimate is based. The standard error indicates the precision of the governance estimate. Larger values indicate less precise estimates. A 90% confidence interval for the governance estimate is given by the estimate +/- 1.64 times the standard error.