Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa
South Africa: Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled was 0.633 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa, 1900–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa stood at 0.633.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa peaked at 0.668 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.092, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 39th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.11 | — |
| 1901 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.11 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.118 | +7.3% |
| 1911 | 0.129 | +9.3% |
| 1912 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.128 | -0.8% |
| 1916 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.129 | +0.8% |
| 1925 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.131 | +1.6% |
| 1932 | 0.132 | +0.8% |
| 1933 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.126 | -4.5% |
| 1948 | 0.111 | -11.9% |
| 1949 | 0.109 | -1.8% |
| 1950 | 0.102 | -6.4% |
| 1951 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.101 | -1.0% |
| 1955 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.102 | +1.0% |
| 1959 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.099 | -2.9% |
| 1961 | 0.092 | -7.1% |
| 1962 | 0.094 | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 0.094 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.094 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.094 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.093 | -1.1% |
| 1967 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.094 | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 0.094 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.093 | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.096 | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 0.096 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.096 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.118 | +22.9% |
| 1985 | 0.118 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.119 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 0.118 | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 0.119 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 0.121 | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 0.139 | +14.9% |
| 1991 | 0.148 | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 0.149 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.159 | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 0.293 | +84.3% |
| 1995 | 0.528 | +80.2% |
| 1996 | 0.56 | +6.1% |
| 1997 | 0.56 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.564 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 0.598 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 0.629 | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 0.629 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.629 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.629 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.649 | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 0.658 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 0.661 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 0.662 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 0.657 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.656 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.666 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 0.666 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.668 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.65 | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 0.641 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.649 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 0.645 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 0.626 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 0.64 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 0.623 | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 0.604 | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 0.609 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.61 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 0.602 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.648 | +7.6% |
| 2025 | 0.633 | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1274 | 0.118 | 0.129 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1286 | 0.128 | 0.129 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1316 | 0.129 | 0.132 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.127 | 0.109 | 0.132 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1016 | 0.101 | 0.102 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0939 | 0.092 | 0.099 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0932 | 0.093 | 0.094 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1094 | 0.093 | 0.121 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3698 | 0.139 | 0.598 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6459 | 0.629 | 0.662 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6474 | 0.623 | 0.668 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6177 | 0.602 | 0.648 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 fh 2 (2025)
- Democracy lexical 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 key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa?
- Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled in South Africa was 0.633 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.668 in 2012.
- What is the lowest key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.092 in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled?
- South Africa ranks 39th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Key features of liberal democracy, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Key features of liberal democracy with 58 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Key features of liberal democracy Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Key features of liberal democracy with 58 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.