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

Mauritius, at 0.481 against 0.47 in South Africa as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritius 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.

Mauritius vs South Africa: Participatory Democracy Index

Mauritius

0.481

in 2025

South Africa

0.47

in 2025

Mauritius rank

43rd

South Africa rank

45th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Mauritius
South Africa

How they compare

Mauritius currently reports 0.481 against 0.47 in South Africa, a difference of 0.011.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Mauritius ahead.

Mauritius ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 45th of 176 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade	Mauritius	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.1247	0.1112	0.0135	Mauritius
1910s	0.1245	0.1424	0.0179	South Africa
1920s	0.1268	0.1443	0.0175	South Africa
1930s	0.1324	0.1495	0.0171	South Africa
1940s	0.1514	0.1463	0.0051	Mauritius
1950s	0.1997	0.1313	0.0684	Mauritius
1960s	0.28	0.1265	0.1535	Mauritius
1970s	0.4018	0.1265	0.2753	Mauritius
1980s	0.4436	0.1286	0.315	Mauritius
1990s	0.4581	0.3318	0.1263	Mauritius
2000s	0.472	0.525	0.053	South Africa
2010s	0.4677	0.5034	0.0357	South Africa
2020s	0.3498	0.4613	0.1115	South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Mauritius or South Africa?: Mauritius, at 0.481 against 0.47 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Mauritius and South Africa?: 0.011, with Mauritius ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritius and South Africa?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Mauritius and South Africa rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Mauritius ranks 43rd 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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Mauritius 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/mauritius/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.