Statizoid

Democracy in South Africa

South Africa: Democracy was 2 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
32nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
3
in 1996
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Democracy in South Africa, 1900–2025

0123190019622025

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

Analysis

In 2025, democracy in South Africa stood at 2.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in South Africa peaked at 3 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.

South Africa ranks 32nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 1 1 1 10
1920s 1 1 1 10
1930s 1 1 1 10
1940s 1 1 1 10
1950s 1 1 1 10
1960s 1 1 1 10
1970s 1 1 1 10
1980s 0.4 0 1 10
1990s 1.5 0 3 10
2000s 3 3 3 10
2010s 2.3 2 3 10
2020s 2 2 2 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 32 Argentina 2 compare
  2. 32 Armenia 2 compare
  3. 32 Bhutan 2 compare
  4. 32 Bolivia 2 compare
  5. 32 Botswana 2 compare
  6. 32 Brazil 2 compare
  7. 32 Bulgaria 2 compare
  8. 32 Canada 2 compare
  9. 32 Cape Verde 2 compare
  10. 32 Colombia 2 compare
  11. 32 Croatia 2 compare
  12. 32 Dominican Republic 2 compare
  13. 32 East Timor 2 compare
  14. 32 Ecuador 2 compare
  15. 32 Fiji 2 compare
  16. 32 Gambia 2 compare
  17. 32 Ghana 2 compare
  18. 32 Greece 2 compare
  19. 32 Guatemala 2 compare
  20. 32 Guyana 2 compare
  21. 32 Honduras 2 compare
  22. 32 Israel 2 compare
  23. 32 Jamaica 2 compare
  24. 32 Kenya 2 compare
  25. 32 Lesotho 2 compare
  26. 32 Liberia 2 compare
  27. 32 Malawi 2 compare
  28. 32 Malaysia 2 compare
  29. 32 Maldives 2 compare
  30. 32 Mauritius 2 compare
  31. 32 Moldova 2 compare
  32. 32 Mongolia 2 compare
  33. 32 Montenegro 2 compare
  34. 32 Namibia 2 compare
  35. 32 Nepal 2 compare
  36. 32 Nigeria 2 compare
  37. 32 North Macedonia 2 compare
  38. 32 Panama 2 compare
  39. 32 Paraguay 2 compare
  40. 32 Peru 2 compare
  41. 32 Poland 2 compare
  42. 32 Portugal 2 compare
  43. 32 Romania 2 compare
  44. 32 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
  45. 32 Senegal 2 compare
  46. 32 Slovakia 2 compare
  47. 32 Slovenia 2 compare
  48. 32 Solomon Islands 2 compare
  49. 32 Sri Lanka 2 compare
  50. 32 Suriname 2 compare
  51. 32 United Kingdom 2 compare
  52. 32 United States 2 compare
  53. 32 Vanuatu 2 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in South Africa?
Democracy in South Africa was 2 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3 in 1996.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
How does South Africa rank for democracy?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is democracy rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. 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 Democracy. 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
Democracy
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,594 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.