Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Africa
South Africa: Physical Integrity Rights Score was -0.5153 in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Africa, 1946–2019
Source: Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for physical integrity rights score in South Africa is -0.5153, measured in 2019.
The figure is up 7.8% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physical integrity rights score in South Africa peaked at -0.104 in 1946 and was at its lowest, -2.06, in 1986.
South Africa ranks 153rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | -0.104 | — |
| 1947 | -0.1115 | +7.2% |
| 1948 | -0.1363 | +22.2% |
| 1949 | -0.1466 | +7.6% |
| 1950 | -0.1711 | +16.7% |
| 1951 | -0.2061 | +20.5% |
| 1952 | -0.253 | +22.8% |
| 1953 | -0.2933 | +15.9% |
| 1954 | -0.3588 | +22.3% |
| 1955 | -0.4281 | +19.3% |
| 1956 | -0.5225 | +22.0% |
| 1957 | -0.6416 | +22.8% |
| 1958 | -0.7296 | +13.7% |
| 1959 | -0.8771 | +20.2% |
| 1960 | -1.17 | +33.6% |
| 1961 | -1.26 | +7.6% |
| 1962 | -1.32 | +4.8% |
| 1963 | -1.38 | +4.7% |
| 1964 | -1.41 | +1.9% |
| 1965 | -1.41 | -0.3% |
| 1966 | -1.38 | -2.2% |
| 1967 | -1.36 | -0.9% |
| 1968 | -1.35 | -0.8% |
| 1969 | -1.36 | +0.5% |
| 1970 | -1.37 | +0.7% |
| 1971 | -1.4 | +2.4% |
| 1972 | -1.39 | -0.9% |
| 1973 | -1.41 | +1.4% |
| 1974 | -1.44 | +2.1% |
| 1975 | -1.51 | +5.1% |
| 1976 | -1.67 | +10.3% |
| 1977 | -1.68 | +0.9% |
| 1978 | -1.65 | -1.9% |
| 1979 | -1.63 | -1.2% |
| 1980 | -1.58 | -2.8% |
| 1981 | -1.56 | -1.7% |
| 1982 | -1.58 | +1.4% |
| 1983 | -1.56 | -0.9% |
| 1984 | -1.67 | +6.5% |
| 1985 | -1.89 | +13.6% |
| 1986 | -2.06 | +8.6% |
| 1987 | -2.04 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | -2.02 | -0.9% |
| 1989 | -1.91 | -5.4% |
| 1990 | -1.93 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | -1.74 | -9.8% |
| 1992 | -1.74 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | -1.77 | +1.7% |
| 1994 | -1.51 | -14.7% |
| 1995 | -1.21 | -20.0% |
| 1996 | -1.1 | -9.4% |
| 1997 | -0.9924 | -9.4% |
| 1998 | -0.9003 | -9.3% |
| 1999 | -0.6328 | -29.7% |
| 2000 | -0.4766 | -24.7% |
| 2001 | -0.4583 | -3.8% |
| 2002 | -0.3818 | -16.7% |
| 2003 | -0.3382 | -11.4% |
| 2004 | -0.3015 | -10.9% |
| 2005 | -0.3633 | +20.5% |
| 2006 | -0.4472 | +23.1% |
| 2007 | -0.5967 | +33.4% |
| 2008 | -0.5378 | -9.9% |
| 2009 | -0.5117 | -4.9% |
| 2010 | -0.4868 | -4.9% |
| 2011 | -0.4851 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | -0.5707 | +17.6% |
| 2013 | -0.5301 | -7.1% |
| 2014 | -0.5058 | -4.6% |
| 2015 | -0.6202 | +22.6% |
| 2016 | -0.7038 | +13.5% |
| 2017 | -0.7181 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | -0.5588 | -22.2% |
| 2019 | -0.5153 | -7.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -0.5153 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.55. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -0.5153 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0105. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | -0.1246 | -0.1466 | -0.104 | 4 |
| 1950s | -0.4481 | -0.8771 | -0.1711 | 10 |
| 1960s | -1.34 | -1.41 | -1.17 | 10 |
| 1970s | -1.51 | -1.68 | -1.37 | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.79 | -2.06 | -1.56 | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.35 | -1.93 | -0.6328 | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.4413 | -0.5967 | -0.3015 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5695 | -0.7181 | -0.4851 | 10 |
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 physical integrity rights score in South Africa?
- Physical integrity rights score in South Africa was -0.5153 in 2019, according to Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest physical integrity rights score recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was -0.104 in 1946.
- What is the lowest physical integrity rights score recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.06 in 1986.
- How does South Africa rank for physical integrity rights score?
- South Africa ranks 153rd out of 193 countries with data for 2019.
- Is physical integrity rights score rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Physical Integrity Rights Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The score captures the extent to which citizens are protected from government killings, torture, political imprisonments, extrajudicial executions, mass killings and disappearances. Large positive scores mean abuses are rare relative to other countries and years, large negative scores that abuses are relatively widespread.