Rule of law index bti in South Africa

South Africa: Rule of law index bti was 7.25 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
7.25
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
15th
of 128 countries
All-time high
8
in 2005
All-time low
6.75
in 2009
Years of data
11
2005–2025

Rule of law index bti in South Africa, 2005–2025

024682005201520252005: 82007: 82009: 6.82011: 72013: 7.22015: 7.22017: 7.52019: 7.22021: 7.22023: 7.22025: 7.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, rule of law index bti in South Africa stood at 7.25.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index bti in South Africa peaked at 8 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 6.75, in 2009.

That places South Africa 15th out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Rule of law index bti in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Rule of law index bti in South Africa, 2005 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2005 8
2007 8 +0.0%
2009 6.75 -15.6%
2011 7 +3.7%
2013 7.25 +3.6%
2015 7.25 +0.0%
2017 7.5 +3.4%
2019 7.25 -3.3%
2021 7.25 +0.0%
2023 7.25 +0.0%
2025 7.25 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.58 6.75 8 3
2010s 7.25 7 7.5 5
2020s 7.25 7.25 7.25 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Bhutan 7.5 compare
  2. 13 Brazil 7.5 compare
  3. 15 Croatia 7.25 compare
  4. 15 Mauritius 7.25 compare
  5. 15 Slovakia 7.25 compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index bti in South Africa?
Rule of law index bti in South Africa was 7.25 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index bti recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8 in 2005.
What is the lowest rule of law index bti recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.75 in 2009.
How does South Africa rank for rule of law index bti?
South Africa ranks 15th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law index bti rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Rule of law index bti. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Rule of law index bti in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/rule-of-law-index-bti/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Rule of law index bti
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,394 data points, 2005–2025
Last refreshed