North Korea

Human rights in North Korea

Human rights in North Korea: 0.08 of 1 in 1789 and 0.02 of 1 in 2025, by V-Dem estimates.

Latest, 2025
0.02 of 1
Since 1789
−0.06 of 1
Rank, 2025
175 of 175
counting from the highest
World, 2025
0.65 of 1
Watch it change on the map

index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem

Human rights in North KoreaHuman rights in North Korea: 0.08 of 1 in 1789 and 0.02 of 1 in 2025, by V-Dem estimates. The highest was 0.27 of 1 in 1896, the lowest 0.02 of 1 in 1972.
Estimates, V-DemWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 0.27 of 1 in 1896, the lowest 0.02 of 1 in 1972.

Every year

index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem

YearNorth KoreaWorld
20250.020.65
20240.020.65
20230.020.66
20220.020.66
20210.020.67
20200.020.67
20190.020.68
20180.020.68
20170.020.68
20160.020.68
20150.020.69
20140.020.69
20130.020.7
20120.020.7
20110.020.7
20100.020.7
20090.020.69
20080.020.69
20070.020.69
20060.020.69
20050.020.69
20040.020.69
20030.020.69
20020.020.68
20010.020.68
20000.020.67
19990.020.66
19980.020.65
19970.020.65
19960.020.65
19950.020.65
19940.020.64
19930.020.63
19920.020.62
19910.020.6
19900.020.57
19890.020.51
19880.020.5
19870.020.5
19860.020.49
19850.020.48
19840.020.47
19830.020.47
19820.020.46
19810.020.46
19800.020.46
19790.020.45
19780.020.44
19770.020.44
19760.020.44
19750.020.44
19740.020.43
19730.020.43
19720.020.44
19710.020.44
19700.020.44
19690.020.44
19680.020.45
19670.020.45
19660.020.46
19650.020.46
19640.020.46
19630.020.46
19620.020.46
19610.020.46
19600.020.46
19590.020.44
19580.020.44
19570.040.43
19560.050.43
19550.050.43
19540.050.43
19530.050.43
19520.050.43
19510.050.43
19500.050.42
19490.050.42
19480.050.42
19470.060.42
19460.060.42
19450.150.38
1944–0.35
1943–0.35
1942–0.35
1941–0.35
1940–0.36
1939–0.38
1938–0.39
1937–0.39
1936–0.39
1935–0.4
1934–0.4
1933–0.4
1932–0.41
1931–0.41
1930–0.41
1929–0.41
1928–0.41
1927–0.41
1926–0.41
1925–0.41
1924–0.42
1923–0.41
1922–0.42
1921–0.42
1920–0.42
1919–0.41
1918–0.4
1917–0.39
1916–0.39
1915–0.4
1914–0.4
1913–0.41
1912–0.41
1911–0.41
19100.120.41
19090.20.41
19080.20.41
19070.20.41
19060.20.41
19050.20.41
19040.20.41
19030.210.41
19020.210.41
19010.210.41
19000.210.41
18990.220.47
18980.220.47
18970.230.46
18960.270.47
18950.170.46
18940.110.46
18930.10.46
18920.10.45
18910.10.45
18900.10.45
18890.10.45
18880.10.45
18870.10.45
18860.10.44
18850.090.44
18840.090.44
18830.090.44
18820.090.44
18810.080.44
18800.080.44
18790.080.45
18780.080.45
18770.080.44
18760.080.45
18750.070.45
18740.070.45
18730.070.45
18720.070.44
18710.070.45
18700.070.44
18690.070.44
18680.070.43
18670.070.44
18660.070.43
18650.080.43
18640.080.42
18630.080.43
18620.080.43
18610.080.42
18600.080.41
18590.080.4
18580.080.4
18570.080.4
18560.080.4
18550.080.4
18540.080.4
18530.080.4
18520.080.39
18510.080.39
18500.080.39
18490.080.41
18480.080.4
18470.080.38
18460.080.38
18450.080.37
18440.080.37
18430.080.37
18420.080.37
18410.080.37
18400.080.36
18390.080.36
18380.080.36
18370.080.36
18360.080.36
18350.080.36
18340.080.35
18330.080.35
18320.080.35
18310.080.35
18300.080.35
18290.080.35
18280.080.35
18270.080.35
18260.080.35
18250.080.35
18240.080.34
18230.080.35
18220.080.34
18210.080.34
18200.080.33
18190.080.32
18180.080.31
18170.080.31
18160.080.32
18150.080.32
18140.080.3
18130.080.29
18120.080.28
18110.080.28
18100.080.29
18090.080.29
18080.080.28
18070.080.28
18060.080.27
18050.080.27
18040.080.27
18030.090.27
18020.090.27
18010.080.27
18000.090.27
17990.080.28
17980.080.27
17970.080.27
17960.080.27
17950.080.27
17940.080.27
17930.080.27
17920.080.27
17910.080.27
17900.080.27
17890.080.27

Good to know

  • V-Dem’s civil liberties index: how free people are from government violence and how far they hold private and political liberties, 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

North Korea in numbers

Every measure for North Korea on one page

Health

People

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby