State Capacity Index in North Korea
North Korea: State Capacity Index was 0.1979 in 2015. ◆ Volatile
State Capacity Index in North Korea, 1960–2015
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 0.1979 for state capacity index in 2015.
That represents a change of down 17.6% on the previous year and up 972.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, state capacity index in North Korea peaked at 0.2453 in 2013 and was at its lowest, -0.6688, in 1960.
That places North Korea 106th out of 165 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.6044 | -0.6688 | -0.506 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.489 | -0.5455 | -0.4275 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.2846 | -0.4176 | -0.1281 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.0336 | -0.2843 | 0.2329 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1184 | -0.0227 | 0.2419 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.216 | 0.19 | 0.2453 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 103 Kyrgyzstan 0.2239 compare
- 104 Guyana 0.2083 compare
- 105 Malawi 0.2015 compare
- 107 Mozambique 0.1894 compare
- 108 Burkina Faso 0.1683 compare
- 109 Guatemala 0.1455 compare
More reference data data for North Korea
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is state capacity index in North Korea?
- State capacity index in North Korea was 0.1979 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest state capacity index recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2453 in 2013.
- What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6688 in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for state capacity index?
- North Korea ranks 106th out of 165 countries with data for 2015.
- Is state capacity index rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 972.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.