Engaged Society Score in South Korea

South Korea: Engaged Society Score was 2.38 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2.38
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
10th
of 176 countries
All-time high
2.84
in 2000
All-time low
-2.06
in 1972
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Engaged Society Score in South Korea, 1789–2025

-2-10123178919072025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 2.38 for engaged society score in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, engaged society score in South Korea peaked at 2.84 in 2000 and was at its lowest, -2.06, in 1972.

South Korea ranks 10th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 1
1790s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1800s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1810s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1820s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1830s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1840s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1850s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1860s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1870s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1880s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1890s -0.929 -0.929 -0.929 10
1900s -1.18 -1.4 -0.929 10
1910s -1.65 -1.65 -1.65 10
1920s -1.65 -1.65 -1.65 10
1930s -1.65 -1.65 -1.65 10
1940s -1.43 -1.65 -1.03 10
1950s -1.43 -2.02 -1.04 10
1960s -1.14 -1.31 0.078 10
1970s -1.91 -2.06 -1.31 10
1980s -0.5803 -1.18 0.49 10
1990s 1.41 0.49 2.22 10
2000s 2.68 2.07 2.84 10
2010s 1.97 1.7 2.24 10
2020s 2.44 2.38 2.56 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 7 Australia 2.68 compare
  2. 8 Mauritius 2.49 compare
  3. 9 Austria 2.42 compare
  4. 11 Estonia 2.38 compare
  5. 12 Sweden 2.36 compare
  6. 13 Jamaica 2.33 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is engaged society score in South Korea?
Engaged society score in South Korea was 2.38 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest engaged society score recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 2.84 in 2000.
What is the lowest engaged society score recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was -2.06 in 1972.
How does South Korea rank for engaged society score?
South Korea ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is engaged society score rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Engaged Society Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Engaged Society Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,403 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which ordinary people independently discuss important policy changes among themselves, in the media, in associations or neighborhoods, or in the streets.