Government Effectiveness - Governance score (0-100) (Effectiveness) in South Africa
South Africa: Government Effectiveness - Governance score (0-100) (Effectiveness) was 51.87 0-100 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
51.87 0-100
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
109th
of 206 countries
All-time high
64.07 0-100
in 1996
All-time low
49.15 0-100
in 2024
Years of data
27
1996–2025
Government Effectiveness - Governance score in South Africa, 1996–2025
Source: World Bank. Measured in 0-100.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government effectiveness - governance score in South Africa is 51.87 0-100, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 5.5% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government effectiveness - governance score in South Africa peaked at 64.07 0-100 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 49.15 0-100, in 2024.
That places South Africa 109th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Government Effectiveness - Governance score (0-100) (Effectiveness) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 0-100 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 64.07 0-100 | — |
| 1998 | 58.09 0-100 | -9.3% |
| 2000 | 61.05 0-100 | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 60.39 0-100 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 60.92 0-100 | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 61.42 0-100 | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 61.74 0-100 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 59.74 0-100 | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 58.88 0-100 | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 60.9 0-100 | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 62.29 0-100 | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 60.79 0-100 | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 61.06 0-100 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 61.02 0-100 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 61.37 0-100 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 61.4 0-100 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 60.21 0-100 | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 59.02 0-100 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 59.39 0-100 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 57.49 0-100 | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 58.27 0-100 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 56.31 0-100 | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 55.02 0-100 | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 53.89 0-100 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 50.2 0-100 | -6.8% |
| 2024 | 49.15 0-100 | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 51.87 0-100 | +5.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 51.87 0-100 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.87 0-100, 1.0× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 51.87 0-100 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.11 0-100, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 61.08 0-100 | 58.09 0-100 | 64.07 0-100 | 2 |
| 2000s | 60.82 0-100 | 58.88 0-100 | 62.29 0-100 | 9 |
| 2010s | 60 0-100 | 57.49 0-100 | 61.4 0-100 | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.74 0-100 | 49.15 0-100 | 56.31 0-100 | 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 score in South Africa?
- Government effectiveness - governance score in South Africa was 51.87 0-100 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest government effectiveness - governance score recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 64.07 0-100 in 1996.
- What is the lowest government effectiveness - governance score recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.15 0-100 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for government effectiveness - governance score?
- South Africa ranks 109th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government effectiveness - governance score rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Government Effectiveness - Governance score (0-100). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).