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Indicators · Governance

Clean elections index

How free and fair national elections are, combining the autonomy and capacity of the electoral commission, the voter register, vote buying, irregularities, intimidation, violence and whether the election was free and fair overall, from 0 to 100.

Why it matters

Contested or flawed elections raise the risk of unrest, legal challenges and sanctions around polling periods.

Read with care

Expert-coded by V-Dem; values carry forward between elections.

Source

V-Dem

score (0 to 100). 54 African countries, 1960 to 2025.

Clean elections: highest in Seychelles, lowest in Mozambique

Clean elections index, score (0 to 100). Latest year available, 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

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Source: V-Dem· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: clean electionsiWhy it mattersContested or flawed elections raise the risk of unrest, legal challenges and sanctions around polling periods.

Click a country to highlight it.

020406080Seychelles88Mauritius87South Africa85Botswana80Lesotho79Namibia60Malawi60Zambia46Eswatini38Tanzania36Angola29Comoros18Madagascar18DRC18Zimbabwe17Mozambique9median 42
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 42Lowest: Mozambique 9Highest: Seychelles 88

Over time

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Clean elections index against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

020406080$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Clean electionsDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZambia
Source: V-Dem, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Seychelles882025up 8 since 2020C
2Mauritius872025up 29 since 2020C
3South Africa852025up 9 since 2020C
4Botswana802025up 18 since 2020C
5Lesotho792025up 11 since 2020C
6Namibia602025down 2 since 2020C
7Malawi602025up 13 since 2020C
8Zambia462025up 22 since 2020C
9Eswatini382025up 5 since 2020C
10Tanzania362025down 5 since 2020C
11Angola292025up 4 since 2020C
12Comoros182025up 11 since 2020C
13Madagascar182025down 24 since 2020C
14DRC182025down 2 since 2020C
15Zimbabwe172025down 2 since 2020C
16Mozambique92025down 10 since 2020C