Liberal political institutions index in South Africa

South Africa: Liberal political institutions index was 0.858 in 2025. β–² Rising

Latest (2025)
0.858
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
36th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.896
in 2024
All-time low
0.282
in 1960
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Liberal political institutions index in South Africa, 1900–2025

0.20.40.60.8190019622025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, liberal political institutions index in South Africa stood at 0.858.

The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal political institutions index in South Africa peaked at 0.896 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.282, in 1960.

That places South Africa 36th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.349 0.349 0.349 10
1910s 0.349 0.349 0.349 10
1920s 0.349 0.349 0.349 10
1930s 0.3517 0.349 0.352 10
1940s 0.3437 0.309 0.354 10
1950s 0.286 0.286 0.286 10
1960s 0.2828 0.282 0.283 10
1970s 0.283 0.283 0.283 10
1980s 0.3299 0.283 0.363 10
1990s 0.6404 0.386 0.844 10
2000s 0.8471 0.842 0.85 10
2010s 0.8557 0.845 0.865 10
2020s 0.8563 0.836 0.896 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Italy 0.866 compare
  2. 35 Cyprus 0.861 compare
  3. 37 Vanuatu 0.857 compare
  4. 38 Ghana 0.855 compare
  5. 39 Slovenia 0.849 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 liberal political institutions index in South Africa?
Liberal political institutions index in South Africa was 0.858 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal political institutions index recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.896 in 2024.
What is the lowest liberal political institutions index recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.282 in 1960.
How does South Africa rank for liberal political institutions index?
South Africa ranks 36th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal political institutions index rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. 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 Liberal political institutions index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Liberal political institutions index in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/liberal-political-institutions-index/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Liberal political institutions index
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,207 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed