State Capacity Index in South Africa
South Africa: State Capacity Index was 0.8833 in 2015. ◆ Volatile
State Capacity Index in South Africa, 1960–2015
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2015, state capacity index in South Africa stood at 0.8833.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.8% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, state capacity index in South Africa peaked at 1.5 in 1995 and was at its lowest, -0.3509, in 1963.
That places South Africa 49th out of 165 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.2518 | -0.3509 | -0.1717 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2556 | -0.2103 | 0.4719 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6719 | 0.6125 | 0.7817 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.09 | 0.6081 | 1.5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.08 | 0.9299 | 1.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9142 | 0.8267 | 1.01 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is state capacity index in South Africa?
- State capacity index in South Africa was 0.8833 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest state capacity index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.5 in 1995.
- What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.3509 in 1963.
- How does South Africa rank for state capacity index?
- South Africa ranks 49th out of 165 countries with data for 2015.
- Is state capacity index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.