Statizoid

Liberal democracy in South Africa

South Africa: Liberal democracy was 2 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
32nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
3
in 1996
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Liberal democracy in South Africa, 1900–2025

0123190019622025

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

Analysis

South Africa recorded 2 for liberal democracy in 2025.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal democracy in South Africa peaked at 3 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.

South Africa ranks 32nd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 1 1 1 10
1920s 1 1 1 10
1930s 1 1 1 10
1940s 1 1 1 10
1950s 1 1 1 10
1960s 1 1 1 10
1970s 1 1 1 10
1980s 0.4 0 1 10
1990s 1.5 0 3 10
2000s 3 3 3 10
2010s 2.3 2 3 10
2020s 2 2 2 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 32 Argentina 2 compare
  2. 32 Armenia 2 compare
  3. 32 Bhutan 2 compare
  4. 32 Bolivia 2 compare
  5. 32 Botswana 2 compare
  6. 32 Brazil 2 compare
  7. 32 Bulgaria 2 compare
  8. 32 Canada 2 compare
  9. 32 Cape Verde 2 compare
  10. 32 Colombia 2 compare
  11. 32 Croatia 2 compare
  12. 32 Dominican Republic 2 compare
  13. 32 East Timor 2 compare
  14. 32 Ecuador 2 compare
  15. 32 Fiji 2 compare
  16. 32 Gambia 2 compare
  17. 32 Ghana 2 compare
  18. 32 Greece 2 compare
  19. 32 Guatemala 2 compare
  20. 32 Guyana 2 compare
  21. 32 Honduras 2 compare
  22. 32 Israel 2 compare
  23. 32 Jamaica 2 compare
  24. 32 Kenya 2 compare
  25. 32 Lesotho 2 compare
  26. 32 Liberia 2 compare
  27. 32 Malawi 2 compare
  28. 32 Malaysia 2 compare
  29. 32 Maldives 2 compare
  30. 32 Malta 2 compare
  31. 32 Mauritius 2 compare
  32. 32 Moldova 2 compare
  33. 32 Mongolia 2 compare
  34. 32 Montenegro 2 compare
  35. 32 Namibia 2 compare
  36. 32 Nepal 2 compare
  37. 32 Nigeria 2 compare
  38. 32 North Macedonia 2 compare
  39. 32 Panama 2 compare
  40. 32 Paraguay 2 compare
  41. 32 Peru 2 compare
  42. 32 Poland 2 compare
  43. 32 Portugal 2 compare
  44. 32 Romania 2 compare
  45. 32 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
  46. 32 Senegal 2 compare
  47. 32 Slovakia 2 compare
  48. 32 Slovenia 2 compare
  49. 32 Solomon Islands 2 compare
  50. 32 Sri Lanka 2 compare
  51. 32 Suriname 2 compare
  52. 32 United Kingdom 2 compare
  53. 32 United States 2 compare
  54. 32 Vanuatu 2 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is liberal democracy in South Africa?
Liberal democracy in South Africa was 2 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal democracy recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3 in 1996.
What is the lowest liberal democracy recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
How does South Africa rank for liberal democracy?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal democracy 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 Liberal democracy. 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

Indicator
Liberal democracy
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,594 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.