Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in North Korea
North Korea: Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate in North Korea, 1996–2025
Source: The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG). Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
Analysis
In 2025, voice and accountability - governance estimate in North Korea stood at -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
The figure is down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, voice and accountability - governance estimate in North Korea peaked at -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2011 and was at its lowest, -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2002.
North Korea ranks 206th of 208 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | -2.22 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +6.6% |
| 2000 | -2.22 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.4% |
| 2003 | -2.25 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | -2.18 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -3.3% |
| 2005 | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -4.8% |
| 2008 | -2.15 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.5% |
| 2009 | -2.16 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -22.1% |
| 2011 | -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | -2.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +26.4% |
| 2013 | -2.14 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | -2.11 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | -2.11 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | -2.11 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | -2.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | -2.05 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -3.5% |
| 2019 | -2.06 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | -2.06 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | -2.05 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | -2.06 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | -2.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for low income countries, which is -1.25 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.334 approx. -2.5 to +2.5. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Voice and Accountability - 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 | -26.4% | -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.15 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.22 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | -2.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.14 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.08 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.05 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 203 Sudan -1.99 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 204 Turkmenistan -2.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 205 Myanmar -2.09 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 207 Afghanistan -2.18 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 208 Eritrea -2.35 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on 1,003 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Enteric 2,573 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.32 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 2,294 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 316.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 330.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 6,873 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 325.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is voice and accountability - governance estimate in North Korea?
- Voice and accountability - governance estimate in North Korea was -2.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG).
- What is the highest voice and accountability - governance estimate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was -1.68 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2011.
- What is the lowest voice and accountability - governance estimate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2002.
- How does North Korea rank for voice and accountability - governance estimate?
- North Korea ranks 206th out of 208 countries with data for 2025.
- Is voice and accountability - governance estimate rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG), published as part of Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Voice and Accountability (VA) captures perceptions of the extent to which citizens can participate in selecting their government including electoral integrity, and of accountability mechanisms for citizens—reflected in the ability to access information, governmental oversight bodies, and a robust traditional/digital media landscape. Governance estimate from the aggregation model, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5. Larger values correspond to better governance. The (country-series-time) metadata include the (a) number of sources, and (b) standard error. The number of sources indicates the number of underlying data sources on which the governance estimate is based. The standard error indicates the precision of the governance estimate. Larger values indicate less precise estimates. A 90% confidence interval for the governance estimate is given by the estimate +/- 1.64 times the standard error.