What is civil liberties rating in South Korea?

Civil liberties rating in South Korea was 2 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 6 in 1972.

What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1993.

How does South Korea rank for civil liberties rating?

South Korea ranks 120th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.

Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this South Korea data come from?

The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Civil liberties rating in South Korea

Name: Civil liberties rating in South Korea
Creator: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Korea: Civil liberties rating was 2 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

120th

of 198 countries

All-time high

in 1972

All-time low

in 1993

Years of data

1972–2025

Civil liberties rating in South Korea, 1972–2025

Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 2 for civil liberties rating in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in South Korea peaked at 6 in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1993.

That places South Korea 120th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	5.5	5	6	8
1980s	4.67	3	6	9
1990s	2.3	2	3	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	10
2020s	2	2	2	6

Countries ranked near South Korea

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 135 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is civil liberties rating in South Korea?: Civil liberties rating in South Korea was 2 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 6 in 1972.
What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1993.
How does South Korea rank for civil liberties rating?: South Korea ranks 120th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Korea data come from?: The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Civil liberties rating
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 199 places, 10,083 data points, 1972–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.