LGBT+ Rights Index in South Africa
South Africa: LGBT+ Rights Index was 14.08 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
LGBT+ Rights Index in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in South Africa stood at 14.08. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in South Africa peaked at 14.08 in 2024 and was at its lowest, -1.43, in 1993.
That places South Africa 25th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
LGBT+ Rights Index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -0.6958 | — |
| 1992 | -1.36 | +95.8% |
| 1993 | -1.43 | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 0.2417 | -117.0% |
| 1995 | 0.2417 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2.16 | +793.0% |
| 1997 | 2.24 | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 3.13 | +39.6% |
| 1999 | 3.13 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4.46 | +42.6% |
| 2001 | 4.46 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5.46 | +22.4% |
| 2003 | 5.18 | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 5.81 | +12.2% |
| 2005 | 5.65 | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 7.73 | +36.9% |
| 2007 | 9.79 | +26.6% |
| 2008 | 9.79 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9.79 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10.17 | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 10.17 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10.17 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10.17 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12 | +18.0% |
| 2015 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11.75 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 11.75 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.5 | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 12.75 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 12.75 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12.75 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12.75 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 14.08 | +10.5% |
| 2025 | 14.08 | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 14.08 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2, 7.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 14.08 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.6687. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LGBT+ Rights 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +793.0% | 0.2417 | 2.16 |
| 1994 | +117.0% | -1.43 | 0.2417 |
| 1992 | -95.8% | -0.6958 | -1.36 |
| 2000 | +42.6% | 3.13 | 4.46 |
| 1998 | +39.6% | 2.24 | 3.13 |
| 2006 | +36.9% | 5.65 | 7.73 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8509 | -1.43 | 3.13 | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.81 | 4.46 | 9.79 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.27 | 10.17 | 12.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.19 | 12.75 | 14.08 | 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 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 lgbt+ rights index in South Africa?
- Lgbt+ rights index in South Africa was 14.08 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.08 in 2024.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.43 in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Summary measure of a country's LGBTI-related laws, calculated by subtracting the sum of its regressive policy scores from the sum of its progressive policy scores.