Regulatory Quality - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in South Africa
South Africa: Regulatory Quality - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -0.0682 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Regulatory Quality - 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
In 2025, regulatory quality - governance estimate in South Africa stood at -0.0682 approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 121.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, regulatory quality - governance estimate in South Africa peaked at 0.8188 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2003 and was at its lowest, -0.0688 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2023.
That places South Africa 99th 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.
Regulatory Quality - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0.2597 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | 0.4145 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +59.6% |
| 2000 | 0.4795 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +15.7% |
| 2002 | 0.7963 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +66.1% |
| 2003 | 0.8188 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 0.5988 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -26.9% |
| 2005 | 0.6151 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 0.6752 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 0.6238 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 0.6223 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.6585 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6817 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 0.6468 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 0.6292 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 0.6218 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 0.4219 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -32.1% |
| 2015 | 0.3242 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -23.2% |
| 2016 | 0.278 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -14.2% |
| 2017 | 0.2504 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0954 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -61.9% |
| 2019 | 0.1445 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +51.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1303 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 0.0564 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -56.7% |
| 2022 | -0.0247 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -143.8% |
| 2023 | -0.0688 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +178.6% |
| 2024 | -0.0679 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | -0.0682 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -0.0682 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.0934 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 73% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -0.0682 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.7299 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 9% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Regulatory Quality - 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 | -178.6% | -0.0247 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0688 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 |
| 2022 | -143.8% | 0.0564 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0247 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3371 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.2597 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.4145 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.6542 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.4795 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.8188 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.4094 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.0954 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.6817 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.0072 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0688 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 0.1303 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 regulatory quality - governance estimate in South Africa?
- Regulatory quality - governance estimate in South Africa was -0.0682 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 regulatory quality - governance estimate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8188 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2003.
- What is the lowest regulatory quality - governance estimate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0688 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for regulatory quality - governance estimate?
- South Africa ranks 99th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is regulatory quality - governance estimate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 121.0%. 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 Regulatory Quality - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Regulatory Quality (RQ) captures perceptions of the government’s ability to design and implement policies and regulations that promote private sector development. 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.