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Private Civil Liberties Index in South Africa

South Africa: Private Civil Liberties Index was 0.86 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.86
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
51st
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.88
in 2024
All-time low
0.088
in 1970
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Private Civil Liberties Index in South Africa, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.8190019622025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for private civil liberties index in South Africa is 0.86, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, private civil liberties index in South Africa peaked at 0.88 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.088, in 1970.

That places South Africa 51st out of 176 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.

Private Civil Liberties Index in South Africa, year by year

Year Value Change
1900 0.114 —
1901 0.114 +0.0%
1902 0.114 +0.0%
1903 0.114 +0.0%
1904 0.114 +0.0%
1905 0.114 +0.0%
1906 0.114 +0.0%
1907 0.114 +0.0%
1908 0.114 +0.0%
1909 0.114 +0.0%
1910 0.114 +0.0%
1911 0.114 +0.0%
1912 0.114 +0.0%
1913 0.114 +0.0%
1914 0.114 +0.0%
1915 0.114 +0.0%
1916 0.114 +0.0%
1917 0.114 +0.0%
1918 0.114 +0.0%
1919 0.114 +0.0%
1920 0.114 +0.0%
1921 0.114 +0.0%
1922 0.114 +0.0%
1923 0.114 +0.0%
1924 0.114 +0.0%
1925 0.114 +0.0%
1926 0.114 +0.0%
1927 0.114 +0.0%
1928 0.114 +0.0%
1929 0.114 +0.0%
1930 0.114 +0.0%
1931 0.114 +0.0%
1932 0.114 +0.0%
1933 0.114 +0.0%
1934 0.114 +0.0%
1935 0.114 +0.0%
1936 0.114 +0.0%
1937 0.114 +0.0%
1938 0.114 +0.0%
1939 0.114 +0.0%
1940 0.114 +0.0%
1941 0.114 +0.0%
1942 0.114 +0.0%
1943 0.114 +0.0%
1944 0.114 +0.0%
1945 0.114 +0.0%
1946 0.114 +0.0%
1947 0.111 -2.6%
1948 0.101 -9.0%
1949 0.094 -6.9%
1950 0.089 -5.3%
1951 0.089 +0.0%
1952 0.089 +0.0%
1953 0.089 +0.0%
1954 0.089 +0.0%
1955 0.089 +0.0%
1956 0.089 +0.0%
1957 0.089 +0.0%
1958 0.089 +0.0%
1959 0.089 +0.0%
1960 0.089 +0.0%
1961 0.089 +0.0%
1962 0.089 +0.0%
1963 0.089 +0.0%
1964 0.089 +0.0%
1965 0.089 +0.0%
1966 0.089 +0.0%
1967 0.089 +0.0%
1968 0.089 +0.0%
1969 0.089 +0.0%
1970 0.088 -1.1%
1971 0.088 +0.0%
1972 0.088 +0.0%
1973 0.088 +0.0%
1974 0.088 +0.0%
1975 0.088 +0.0%
1976 0.088 +0.0%
1977 0.088 +0.0%
1978 0.088 +0.0%
1979 0.088 +0.0%
1980 0.091 +3.4%
1981 0.091 +0.0%
1982 0.091 +0.0%
1983 0.091 +0.0%
1984 0.091 +0.0%
1985 0.099 +8.8%
1986 0.107 +8.1%
1987 0.107 +0.0%
1988 0.107 +0.0%
1989 0.111 +3.7%
1990 0.173 +55.9%
1991 0.188 +8.7%
1992 0.188 +0.0%
1993 0.195 +3.7%
1994 0.57 +192.3%
1995 0.841 +47.5%
1996 0.843 +0.2%
1997 0.843 +0.0%
1998 0.843 +0.0%
1999 0.843 +0.0%
2000 0.843 +0.0%
2001 0.843 +0.0%
2002 0.843 +0.0%
2003 0.843 +0.0%
2004 0.843 +0.0%
2005 0.843 +0.0%
2006 0.843 +0.0%
2007 0.843 +0.0%
2008 0.843 +0.0%
2009 0.843 +0.0%
2010 0.874 +3.7%
2011 0.872 -0.2%
2012 0.87 -0.2%
2013 0.871 +0.1%
2014 0.871 +0.0%
2015 0.876 +0.6%
2016 0.876 +0.0%
2017 0.859 -1.9%
2018 0.855 -0.5%
2019 0.808 -5.5%
2020 0.796 -1.5%
2021 0.811 +1.9%
2022 0.809 -0.2%
2023 0.874 +8.0%
2024 0.88 +0.7%
2025 0.86 -2.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.86 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7585, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 0.86 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.682, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.114 0.114 0.114 10
1910s 0.114 0.114 0.114 10
1920s 0.114 0.114 0.114 10
1930s 0.114 0.114 0.114 10
1940s 0.1104 0.094 0.114 10
1950s 0.089 0.089 0.089 10
1960s 0.089 0.089 0.089 10
1970s 0.088 0.088 0.088 10
1980s 0.0986 0.091 0.111 10
1990s 0.5527 0.173 0.843 10
2000s 0.843 0.843 0.843 10
2010s 0.8632 0.808 0.876 10
2020s 0.8383 0.796 0.88 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 48 Montenegro 0.869 compare
  2. 49 France 0.867 compare
  3. 49 Trinidad and Tobago 0.867 compare
  4. 52 Georgia 0.857 compare
  5. 53 Romania 0.854 compare
  6. 54 Nigeria 0.848 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 private civil liberties index in South Africa?
Private civil liberties index in South Africa was 0.86 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest private civil liberties index recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.88 in 2024.
What is the lowest private civil liberties index recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.088 in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for private civil liberties index?
South Africa ranks 51st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is private civil liberties index rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. 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 Private Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Private Civil Liberties Index in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/private-civil-liberties-index/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Private Civil Liberties Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,494 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate the extent to which people are free from forced labor, have property rights, and enjoy freedom of movement and religion.