South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Electoral democracy

Electoral democracy in 2025: 0.74 of 1 in South Africa and 0.1 of 1 in United Arab Emirates, by V-Dem estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.64 of 1, or 7.14 times that in United Arab Emirates.

Watch it change on the map

index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem

South AfricaUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1971.
In 2025, South Africa ranked 42 and United Arab Emirates ranked 168 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	South Africa	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	0.74	0.1	0.48
2024	0.73	0.1	0.49
2023	0.71	0.1	0.49
2022	0.72	0.1	0.5
2021	0.73	0.1	0.5
2020	0.72	0.1	0.51
2019	0.73	0.1	0.52
2018	0.75	0.1	0.52
2017	0.74	0.1	0.52
2016	0.75	0.1	0.52
2015	0.76	0.1	0.52
2014	0.76	0.09	0.52
2013	0.77	0.09	0.52
2012	0.78	0.09	0.53
2011	0.78	0.08	0.53
2010	0.78	0.07	0.52
2009	0.78	0.07	0.52
2008	0.78	0.07	0.52
2007	0.78	0.07	0.52
2006	0.78	0.02	0.52
2005	0.78	0.02	0.52
2004	0.76	0.02	0.51
2003	0.74	0.03	0.51
2002	0.74	0.03	0.5
2001	0.74	0.03	0.49
2000	0.74	0.03	0.49
1999	0.71	0.03	0.49
1998	0.67	0.03	0.49
1997	0.66	0.03	0.49
1996	0.66	0.03	0.48
1995	0.66	0.03	0.47
1994	0.39	0.02	0.47
1993	0.26	0.02	0.46
1992	0.25	0.03	0.44
1991	0.25	0.02	0.42
1990	0.22	0.02	0.41
1989	0.19	0.02	0.36
1988	0.18	0.02	0.36
1987	0.18	0.02	0.35
1986	0.18	0.02	0.34
1985	0.18	0.02	0.34
1984	0.18	0.02	0.33
1983	0.18	0.02	0.32
1982	0.18	0.02	0.32
1981	0.18	0.02	0.32
1980	0.16	0.02	0.32
1979	0.16	0.02	0.31
1978	0.16	0.02	0.3
1977	0.16	0.02	0.3
1976	0.17	0.02	0.29
1975	0.17	0.02	0.29
1974	0.17	0.02	0.29
1973	0.17	0.01	0.29
1972	0.17	0.02	0.29
1971	0.17	0.02	0.29
1970	0.17	–	0.29
1969	0.16	–	0.29
1968	0.16	–	0.3
1967	0.16	–	0.29
1966	0.16	–	0.29
1965	0.16	–	0.3
1964	0.16	–	0.3
1963	0.17	–	0.3
1962	0.17	–	0.29
1961	0.16	–	0.29
1960	0.19	–	0.28
1959	0.2	–	0.27
1958	0.2	–	0.27
1957	0.2	–	0.27
1956	0.2	–	0.26
1955	0.2	–	0.25
1954	0.2	–	0.25
1953	0.2	–	0.24
1952	0.2	–	0.24
1951	0.2	–	0.24
1950	0.2	–	0.23
1949	0.2	–	0.22
1948	0.21	–	0.22
1947	0.23	–	0.21
1946	0.24	–	0.19
1945	0.24	–	0.16
1944	0.24	–	0.14
1943	0.24	–	0.14
1942	0.24	–	0.14
1941	0.24	–	0.15
1940	0.24	–	0.15
1939	0.24	–	0.17
1938	0.24	–	0.17
1937	0.23	–	0.17
1936	0.23	–	0.17
1935	0.23	–	0.17
1934	0.23	–	0.18
1933	0.24	–	0.18
1932	0.24	–	0.19
1931	0.23	–	0.18
1930	0.23	–	0.18
1929	0.23	–	0.19
1928	0.23	–	0.19
1927	0.23	–	0.19
1926	0.23	–	0.19
1925	0.23	–	0.19
1924	0.23	–	0.19
1923	0.23	–	0.19
1922	0.23	–	0.19
1921	0.23	–	0.19
1920	0.23	–	0.18
1919	0.22	–	0.16
1918	0.22	–	0.15
1917	0.22	–	0.15
1916	0.22	–	0.15
1915	0.23	–	0.15
1914	0.23	–	0.15
1913	0.23	–	0.15
1912	0.23	–	0.15
1911	0.23	–	0.15
1910	0.19	–	0.15
1909	0.16	–	0.15
1908	0.16	–	0.15
1907	0.16	–	0.15
1906	0.16	–	0.15
1905	0.16	–	0.15
1904	0.16	–	0.14
1903	0.16	–	0.14
1902	0.16	–	0.15
1901	0.16	–	0.14
1900	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

South Africa vs United Arab Emirates

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Human rightsSouth Africa: 0.86 of 1 in 2025United Arab Emirates: 0.34 of 1 in 2025

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022