Lesotho vs South Africa: Electoral democracy
Electoral democracy in 2025: 0.66 of 1 in Lesotho and 0.74 of 1 in South Africa, by V-Dem estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.08 of 1, or 1.12 times that in Lesotho.
LesothoSouth Africa
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1900, index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem
Latest figures
index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesotho | 0.66 2025 | 0.6 | 60 of 175 |
| South Africa | 0.74 2025 | 0.76 | 42 of 175 |
| World | 0.48 2025 | 0.52 |
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 1995, when it overtook Lesotho.
- In 2025, Lesotho ranked 60 and South Africa ranked 42 of 175 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.48 of 1 in 2025.
Every year
index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem
| Year | Lesotho | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.66 | 0.74 | 0.48 |
| 2024 | 0.65 | 0.73 | 0.49 |
| 2023 | 0.67 | 0.71 | 0.49 |
| 2022 | 0.65 | 0.72 | 0.5 |
| 2021 | 0.62 | 0.73 | 0.5 |
| 2020 | 0.63 | 0.72 | 0.51 |
| 2019 | 0.62 | 0.73 | 0.52 |
| 2018 | 0.6 | 0.75 | 0.52 |
| 2017 | 0.5 | 0.74 | 0.52 |
| 2016 | 0.58 | 0.75 | 0.52 |
| 2015 | 0.6 | 0.76 | 0.52 |
| 2014 | 0.62 | 0.76 | 0.52 |
| 2013 | 0.62 | 0.77 | 0.52 |
| 2012 | 0.58 | 0.78 | 0.53 |
| 2011 | 0.57 | 0.78 | 0.53 |
| 2010 | 0.57 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2009 | 0.56 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2008 | 0.56 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2007 | 0.57 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2006 | 0.61 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2005 | 0.61 | 0.78 | 0.52 |
| 2004 | 0.61 | 0.76 | 0.51 |
| 2003 | 0.61 | 0.74 | 0.51 |
| 2002 | 0.5 | 0.74 | 0.5 |
| 2001 | 0.32 | 0.74 | 0.49 |
| 2000 | 0.32 | 0.74 | 0.49 |
| 1999 | 0.32 | 0.71 | 0.49 |
| 1998 | 0.37 | 0.67 | 0.49 |
| 1997 | 0.31 | 0.66 | 0.49 |
| 1996 | 0.31 | 0.66 | 0.48 |
| 1995 | 0.31 | 0.66 | 0.47 |
| 1994 | 0.47 | 0.39 | 0.47 |
| 1993 | 0.5 | 0.26 | 0.46 |
| 1992 | 0.16 | 0.25 | 0.44 |
| 1991 | 0.16 | 0.25 | 0.42 |
| 1990 | 0.16 | 0.22 | 0.41 |
| 1989 | 0.13 | 0.19 | 0.36 |
| 1988 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.36 |
| 1987 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.35 |
| 1986 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| 1985 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| 1984 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.33 |
| 1983 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.32 |
| 1982 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.32 |
| 1981 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.32 |
| 1980 | 0.12 | 0.16 | 0.32 |
| 1979 | 0.12 | 0.16 | 0.31 |
| 1978 | 0.12 | 0.16 | 0.3 |
| 1977 | 0.12 | 0.16 | 0.3 |
| 1976 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1975 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1974 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1973 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1972 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1971 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1970 | 0.14 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1969 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.29 |
| 1968 | 0.36 | 0.16 | 0.3 |
| 1967 | 0.36 | 0.16 | 0.29 |
| 1966 | 0.27 | 0.16 | 0.29 |
| 1965 | 0.21 | 0.16 | 0.3 |
| 1964 | 0.09 | 0.16 | 0.3 |
| 1963 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.3 |
| 1962 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.29 |
| 1961 | 0.09 | 0.16 | 0.29 |
| 1960 | 0.09 | 0.19 | 0.28 |
| 1959 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.27 |
| 1958 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.27 |
| 1957 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.27 |
| 1956 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.26 |
| 1955 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.25 |
| 1954 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.25 |
| 1953 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.24 |
| 1952 | 0.07 | 0.2 | 0.24 |
| 1951 | 0.05 | 0.2 | 0.24 |
| 1950 | 0.05 | 0.2 | 0.23 |
| 1949 | 0.05 | 0.2 | 0.22 |
| 1948 | 0.05 | 0.21 | 0.22 |
| 1947 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.21 |
| 1946 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| 1945 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.16 |
| 1944 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| 1943 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| 1942 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| 1941 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.15 |
| 1940 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.15 |
| 1939 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.17 |
| 1938 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.17 |
| 1937 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.17 |
| 1936 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.17 |
| 1935 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.17 |
| 1934 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
| 1933 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.18 |
| 1932 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| 1931 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
| 1930 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
| 1929 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1928 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1927 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1926 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1925 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1924 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1923 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1922 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1921 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.19 |
| 1920 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
| 1919 | 0.05 | 0.22 | 0.16 |
| 1918 | 0.05 | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| 1917 | 0.05 | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| 1916 | 0.05 | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| 1915 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 1914 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 1913 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 1912 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 1911 | 0.05 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 1910 | 0.05 | 0.19 | 0.15 |
| 1909 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1908 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1907 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1906 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1905 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1904 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| 1903 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| 1902 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| 1901 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| 1899 | – | – | 0.22 |
| 1898 | – | – | 0.22 |
| 1897 | – | – | 0.22 |
| 1896 | – | – | 0.22 |
| 1895 | – | – | 0.22 |
| 1894 | – | – | 0.21 |
| 1893 | – | – | 0.21 |
| 1892 | – | – | 0.21 |
| 1891 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1890 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1889 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1888 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1887 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1886 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1885 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1884 | – | – | 0.2 |
| 1883 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1882 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1881 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1880 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1879 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1878 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1877 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1876 | – | – | 0.19 |
| 1875 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1874 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1873 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1872 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1871 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1870 | – | – | 0.18 |
| 1869 | – | – | 0.17 |
| 1868 | – | – | 0.17 |
| 1867 | – | – | 0.17 |
| 1866 | – | – | 0.16 |
| 1865 | – | – | 0.16 |
| 1864 | – | – | 0.16 |
| 1863 | – | – | 0.16 |
| 1862 | – | – | 0.16 |
| 1861 | – | – | 0.15 |
| 1860 | – | – | 0.15 |
| 1859 | – | – | 0.14 |
| 1858 | – | – | 0.14 |
| 1857 | – | – | 0.14 |
| 1856 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1855 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1854 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1853 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1852 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1851 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1850 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1849 | – | – | 0.15 |
| 1848 | – | – | 0.13 |
| 1847 | – | – | 0.11 |
| 1846 | – | – | 0.11 |
| 1845 | – | – | 0.11 |
| 1844 | – | – | 0.11 |
| 1843 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1842 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1841 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1840 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1839 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1838 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1837 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1836 | – | – | 0.1 |
| 1835 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1834 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1833 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1832 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1831 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1830 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1829 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1828 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1827 | – | – | 0.09 |
| 1826 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1825 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1824 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1823 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1822 | – | – | 0.08 |
| 1821 | – | – | 0.07 |
| 1820 | – | – | 0.07 |
| 1819 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1818 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1817 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1816 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1815 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1814 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1813 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1812 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1811 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1810 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1809 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1808 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1807 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1806 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1805 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1804 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1803 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1802 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1801 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1800 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1799 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1798 | – | – | 0.06 |
| 1797 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1796 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1795 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1794 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1793 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1792 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1791 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1790 | – | – | 0.05 |
| 1789 | – | – | 0.05 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- V-Dem’s electoral democracy index: how far rulers answer to voters through free and fair elections, with free speech and association, from 0 to 1.
- Source: V-Dem (2026), via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 175 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time