Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in North Korea
North Korea: Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate in North Korea, 1996–2025
Source: World Bank. Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
Analysis
In 2025, government effectiveness - governance estimate in North Korea stood at -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government effectiveness - governance estimate in North Korea peaked at -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025 and was at its lowest, -2.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2003.
That places North Korea 191st out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | -2.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | -2.43 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +20.5% |
| 2000 | -2.43 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.48 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.2% |
| 2003 | -2.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | -1.94 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -21.9% |
| 2005 | -1.95 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | -1.95 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.95 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -1.69 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -13.4% |
| 2009 | -1.73 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | -1.39 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -19.7% |
| 2011 | -1.4 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | -1.79 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +28.1% |
| 2013 | -1.79 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -16.7% |
| 2015 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | -1.51 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | -1.37 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -9.3% |
| 2020 | -1.37 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | -1.51 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +10.1% |
| 2022 | -1.38 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -8.8% |
| 2023 | -1.33 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -3.8% |
| 2024 | -1.33 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for low income countries, which is -1.25 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1855 approx. -2.5 to +2.5. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | -28.1% | -1.4 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.79 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.22 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.43 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | -2.07 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.69 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.79 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.37 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.37 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.51 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Enteric Fermentation 91.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 245.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 325.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 6,873 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government effectiveness - governance estimate in North Korea?
- Government effectiveness - governance estimate in North Korea was -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025.
- What is the lowest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2003.
- How does North Korea rank for government effectiveness - governance estimate?
- North Korea ranks 191st out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government effectiveness - governance estimate rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).