Which has higher participatory democracy index, Cyprus or South Africa?

Cyprus, at 0.49 against 0.47 in South Africa as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Cyprus and South Africa?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Cyprus vs South Africa: Participatory Democracy Index

Cyprus

0.49

in 2025

South Africa

0.47

in 2025

Cyprus rank

42nd

South Africa rank

45th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Cyprus
South Africa

How they compare

Cyprus currently reports 0.49 against 0.47 in South Africa, a difference of 0.02.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.

Cyprus ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 45th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Cyprus averaged higher in 7 and South Africa in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Cyprus	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.0472	0.1112	0.064	South Africa
1910s	0.047	0.1424	0.0954	South Africa
1920s	0.039	0.1443	0.1053	South Africa
1930s	0.0301	0.1495	0.1194	South Africa
1940s	0.0421	0.1463	0.1042	South Africa
1950s	0.0524	0.1313	0.0789	South Africa
1960s	0.1781	0.1265	0.0516	Cyprus
1970s	0.2304	0.1265	0.1039	Cyprus
1980s	0.3701	0.1286	0.2415	Cyprus
1990s	0.4953	0.3318	0.1635	Cyprus
2000s	0.5549	0.525	0.0299	Cyprus
2010s	0.5726	0.5034	0.0692	Cyprus
2020s	0.5057	0.4613	0.0443	Cyprus

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Cyprus or South Africa?: Cyprus, at 0.49 against 0.47 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Cyprus and South Africa?: 0.02, with Cyprus ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Cyprus and South Africa?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Cyprus and South Africa rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Cyprus ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 45th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Cyprus vs South Africa: Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/participatory-democracy-index/cyprus/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.