What is egalitarian democracy index in South Africa?

Egalitarian democracy index in South Africa was 0.518 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest egalitarian democracy index recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 0.533 in 2006.

What is the lowest egalitarian democracy index recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 0.031 in 1900.

How does South Africa rank for egalitarian democracy index?

South Africa ranks 49th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.

Is egalitarian democracy index rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. 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 Egalitarian Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa

Name: Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Africa: Egalitarian Democracy Index was 0.518 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.518

Change on year

up 1.2%

World rank

49th

of 175 countries

All-time high

0.533

in 2006

All-time low

0.031

in 1900

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.518 for egalitarian democracy index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, egalitarian democracy index in South Africa peaked at 0.533 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.031, in 1900.

South Africa ranks 49th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.031	—
1901	0.031	+0.0%
1902	0.031	+0.0%
1903	0.031	+0.0%
1904	0.031	+0.0%
1905	0.031	+0.0%
1906	0.031	+0.0%
1907	0.031	+0.0%
1908	0.031	+0.0%
1909	0.031	+0.0%
1910	0.036	+16.1%
1911	0.043	+19.4%
1912	0.043	+0.0%
1913	0.043	+0.0%
1914	0.043	+0.0%
1915	0.043	+0.0%
1916	0.043	+0.0%
1917	0.043	+0.0%
1918	0.043	+0.0%
1919	0.043	+0.0%
1920	0.043	+0.0%
1921	0.043	+0.0%
1922	0.043	+0.0%
1923	0.043	+0.0%
1924	0.043	+0.0%
1925	0.043	+0.0%
1926	0.045	+4.7%
1927	0.045	+0.0%
1928	0.045	+0.0%
1929	0.045	+0.0%
1930	0.045	+0.0%
1931	0.049	+8.9%
1932	0.05	+2.0%
1933	0.049	-2.0%
1934	0.049	+0.0%
1935	0.049	+0.0%
1936	0.049	+0.0%
1937	0.049	+0.0%
1938	0.049	+0.0%
1939	0.049	+0.0%
1940	0.049	+0.0%
1941	0.049	+0.0%
1942	0.049	+0.0%
1943	0.049	+0.0%
1944	0.049	+0.0%
1945	0.049	+0.0%
1946	0.049	+0.0%
1947	0.045	-8.2%
1948	0.042	-6.7%
1949	0.039	-7.1%
1950	0.039	+0.0%
1951	0.039	+0.0%
1952	0.039	+0.0%
1953	0.037	-5.1%
1954	0.037	+0.0%
1955	0.037	+0.0%
1956	0.037	+0.0%
1957	0.037	+0.0%
1958	0.037	+0.0%
1959	0.037	+0.0%
1960	0.037	+0.0%
1961	0.032	-13.5%
1962	0.033	+3.1%
1963	0.033	+0.0%
1964	0.032	-3.0%
1965	0.032	+0.0%
1966	0.032	+0.0%
1967	0.032	+0.0%
1968	0.032	+0.0%
1969	0.032	+0.0%
1970	0.032	+0.0%
1971	0.032	+0.0%
1972	0.032	+0.0%
1973	0.032	+0.0%
1974	0.032	+0.0%
1975	0.033	+3.1%
1976	0.033	+0.0%
1977	0.032	-3.0%
1978	0.032	+0.0%
1979	0.032	+0.0%
1980	0.032	+0.0%
1981	0.034	+6.3%
1982	0.034	+0.0%
1983	0.034	+0.0%
1984	0.034	+0.0%
1985	0.037	+8.8%
1986	0.037	+0.0%
1987	0.037	+0.0%
1988	0.037	+0.0%
1989	0.039	+5.4%
1990	0.047	+20.5%
1991	0.053	+12.8%
1992	0.053	+0.0%
1993	0.055	+3.8%
1994	0.273	+396.4%
1995	0.441	+61.5%
1996	0.449	+1.8%
1997	0.445	-0.9%
1998	0.444	-0.2%
1999	0.475	+7.0%
2000	0.499	+5.1%
2001	0.499	+0.0%
2002	0.499	+0.0%
2003	0.499	+0.0%
2004	0.514	+3.0%
2005	0.532	+3.5%
2006	0.533	+0.2%
2007	0.533	+0.0%
2008	0.53	-0.6%
2009	0.53	+0.0%
2010	0.532	+0.4%
2011	0.531	-0.2%
2012	0.533	+0.4%
2013	0.528	-0.9%
2014	0.524	-0.8%
2015	0.516	-1.5%
2016	0.517	+0.2%
2017	0.497	-3.9%
2018	0.488	-1.8%
2019	0.489	+0.2%
2020	0.494	+1.0%
2021	0.516	+4.5%
2022	0.51	-1.2%
2023	0.491	-3.7%
2024	0.512	+4.3%
2025	0.518	+1.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

South Africa's 0.518 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.306, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
South Africa's 0.518 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.201, 2.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.031	0.031	0.031	10
1910s	0.0423	0.036	0.043	10
1920s	0.0438	0.043	0.045	10
1930s	0.0487	0.045	0.05	10
1940s	0.0469	0.039	0.049	10
1950s	0.0376	0.037	0.039	10
1960s	0.0327	0.032	0.037	10
1970s	0.0322	0.032	0.033	10
1980s	0.0355	0.032	0.039	10
1990s	0.2735	0.047	0.475	10
2000s	0.5168	0.499	0.533	10
2010s	0.5155	0.488	0.533	10
2020s	0.5068	0.491	0.518	6

Countries ranked near South Africa

46 Israel 0.549 compare
47 Croatia 0.543 compare
48 Brazil 0.54 compare
50 Montenegro 0.501 compare
51 Argentina 0.5 compare
52 Ghana 0.493 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

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)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is egalitarian democracy index in South Africa?: Egalitarian democracy index in South Africa was 0.518 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest egalitarian democracy index recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.533 in 2006.
What is the lowest egalitarian democracy index recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.031 in 1900.
How does South Africa rank for egalitarian democracy index?: South Africa ranks 49th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is egalitarian democracy index rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. 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 Egalitarian Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Egalitarian Democracy Index in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/egalitarian-democracy-index-vdem/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Egalitarian Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 20,734 data points, 1900–2025
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 the protection of rights, access to power, and distribution of resources is equal.