Direct Democracy Index in South Africa
South Africa: Direct Democracy Index was 0.02 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.02
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
104th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.2
in 1993
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in South Africa, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for direct democracy index in South Africa is 0.02, measured in 2025.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in South Africa peaked at 0.2 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
That places South Africa 104th out of 175 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.
Direct Democracy Index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0 | — |
| 1901 | 0 | — |
| 1902 | 0 | — |
| 1903 | 0 | — |
| 1904 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 0 | — |
| 1906 | 0 | — |
| 1907 | 0 | — |
| 1908 | 0 | — |
| 1909 | 0 | — |
| 1910 | 0 | — |
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0 | — |
| 1927 | 0 | — |
| 1928 | 0 | — |
| 1929 | 0 | — |
| 1930 | 0 | — |
| 1931 | 0 | — |
| 1932 | 0 | — |
| 1933 | 0 | — |
| 1934 | 0 | — |
| 1935 | 0 | — |
| 1936 | 0 | — |
| 1937 | 0 | — |
| 1938 | 0 | — |
| 1939 | 0 | — |
| 1940 | 0 | — |
| 1941 | 0 | — |
| 1942 | 0 | — |
| 1943 | 0 | — |
| 1944 | 0 | — |
| 1945 | 0 | — |
| 1946 | 0 | — |
| 1947 | 0 | — |
| 1948 | 0 | — |
| 1949 | 0 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | — |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0.1 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0.1 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0.1 | — |
| 1993 | 0.2 | +100.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 1999 | 0.164 | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 0.152 | -7.3% |
| 2001 | 0.14 | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 0.128 | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 0.116 | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 0.104 | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 0.092 | -11.5% |
| 2006 | 0.08 | -13.0% |
| 2007 | 0.068 | -15.0% |
| 2008 | 0.056 | -17.6% |
| 2009 | 0.044 | -21.4% |
| 2010 | 0.032 | -27.3% |
| 2011 | 0.02 | -37.5% |
| 2012 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.02 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.06, 33% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.02 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.033, 61% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Direct Democracy Index 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -100.0% | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1984 | -100.0% | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1993 | +100.0% | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1428 | 0 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.098 | 0.044 | 0.152 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0212 | 0.02 | 0.032 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 101 Gambia 0.026 compare
- 102 Ghana 0.024 compare
- 103 Myanmar 0.021 compare
- 104 Afghanistan 0.02 compare
- 104 Bahrain 0.02 compare
- 104 Bhutan 0.02 compare
- 104 Brazil 0.02 compare
- 104 Cameroon 0.02 compare
- 104 Guinea-Bissau 0.02 compare
- 104 Japan 0.02 compare
- 104 Nepal 0.02 compare
- 104 Pakistan 0.02 compare
- 104 Sao Tome and Principe 0.02 compare
- 104 South Sudan 0.02 compare
- 104 Suriname 0.02 compare
- 104 Vietnam 0.02 compare
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is direct democracy index in South Africa?
- Direct democracy index in South Africa was 0.02 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2 in 1993.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does South Africa rank for direct democracy index?
- South Africa ranks 104th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.