Electoral Democracy Index in South Sudan
South Sudan: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.133 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electoral Democracy Index in South Sudan, 1821–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, electoral democracy index in South Sudan stood at 0.133.
That represents a change of down 13.6% on the previous year and down 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in South Sudan peaked at 0.371 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 0.031, in 1821.
South Sudan ranks 162nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.031 | 0.031 | 0.031 | 9 |
| 1830s | 0.031 | 0.031 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.031 | 0.031 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.031 | 0.031 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.0346 | 0.031 | 0.037 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.0405 | 0.037 | 0.067 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.0998 | 0.067 | 0.147 | 5 |
| 1900s | 0.054 | 0.054 | 0.054 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.054 | 0.054 | 0.054 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0559 | 0.055 | 0.056 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.057 | 0.057 | 0.057 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.063 | 0.057 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.187 | 0.079 | 0.288 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.134 | 0.071 | 0.228 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1494 | 0.1 | 0.181 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.235 | 0.163 | 0.371 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1111 | 0.086 | 0.151 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1826 | 0.131 | 0.202 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1728 | 0.153 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1483 | 0.13 | 0.169 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More social development data for South Sudan
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 601,818 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2.39 million (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.133 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.064 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.228 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.047 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.228 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.133 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electoral democracy index in South Sudan?
- Electoral democracy index in South Sudan was 0.133 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.371 in 1987.
- What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.031 in 1821.
- How does South Sudan rank for electoral democracy index?
- South Sudan ranks 162nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 190 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.