Political civil liberties index in South Korea

South Korea: Political civil liberties index was 0.911 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.911
Change on year
up 14.2%
World rank
32nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.931
in 2018
All-time low
0.05
in 1911
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Political civil liberties index in South Korea, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for political civil liberties index in South Korea is 0.911, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.2% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political civil liberties index in South Korea peaked at 0.931 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.05, in 1911.

That places South Korea 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.121 0.121 0.121 1
1790s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1800s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1810s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1820s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1830s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1840s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1850s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1860s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1870s 0.121 0.121 0.121 10
1880s 0.1264 0.121 0.127 10
1890s 0.1614 0.12 0.315 10
1900s 0.1042 0.082 0.128 10
1910s 0.0511 0.05 0.059 10
1920s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1930s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1940s 0.2061 0.057 0.381 10
1950s 0.3454 0.314 0.364 10
1960s 0.3495 0.222 0.643 10
1970s 0.238 0.204 0.352 10
1980s 0.4155 0.213 0.793 10
1990s 0.8536 0.799 0.913 10
2000s 0.9095 0.833 0.929 10
2010s 0.8468 0.793 0.931 10
2020s 0.8702 0.794 0.927 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 30 Suriname 0.916 compare
  2. 31 Portugal 0.914 compare
  3. 33 Australia 0.906 compare
  4. 34 Vanuatu 0.905 compare
  5. 35 Taiwan 0.904 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 political civil liberties index in South Korea?
Political civil liberties index in South Korea was 0.911 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest political civil liberties index recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.931 in 2018.
What is the lowest political civil liberties index recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.05 in 1911.
How does South Korea rank for political civil liberties index?
South Korea ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is political civil liberties index rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Political civil liberties index. 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
Political civil liberties index
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,211 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed