Civil Liberties Score in South Korea

South Korea: Civil Liberties Score was 50 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
50
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
56th
of 197 countries
All-time high
51
in 2006
All-time low
49
in 2003
Years of data
23
2003–2025

Civil Liberties Score in South Korea, 2003–2025

02040602003201420252003: 492004: 492005: 492006: 512007: 502008: 502009: 502010: 502011: 502012: 502013: 502014: 502015: 492016: 502017: 512018: 502019: 502020: 502021: 502022: 502023: 502024: 492025: 50

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

Analysis

In 2025, civil liberties score in South Korea stood at 50.

That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil liberties score in South Korea peaked at 51 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 49, in 2003.

That places South Korea 56th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 49.71 49 51 7
2010s 50 49 51 10
2020s 49.83 49 50 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 53 Antigua and Barbuda 51 compare
  2. 53 France 51 compare
  3. 53 Mauritius 51 compare
  4. 56 Argentina 50 compare
  5. 56 Greece 50 compare
  6. 56 Tonga 50 compare
  7. 56 Vanuatu 50 compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is civil liberties score in South Korea?
Civil liberties score in South Korea was 50 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest civil liberties score recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 51 in 2006.
What is the lowest civil liberties score recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 49 in 2003.
How does South Korea rank for civil liberties score?
South Korea ranks 56th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil liberties score rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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 Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Civil Liberties Score
Source
Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
197 places, 4,511 data points, 2003–2025
Last refreshed

The variable identifies the fine-grained extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Higher scores indicate more liberties.