Which has higher human rights index, Afghanistan or North Korea?

Afghanistan, at 0.041 against 0.024 in North Korea as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and North Korea?

203 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Human Rights Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Afghanistan vs North Korea: Human Rights Index

Afghanistan

0.041

in 2025

North Korea

0.024

in 2025

Afghanistan rank

175th

North Korea rank

176th

Human Rights Index over time

Afghanistan
North Korea

How they compare

Afghanistan currently reports 0.041 against 0.024 in North Korea, a difference of 0.017.

That makes Afghanistan's figure about 1.7 times North Korea's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 203 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Afghanistan ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 175th and North Korea ranks 176th of 176 countries.

Across the 23 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 21 and North Korea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Afghanistan	North Korea	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.124	0.083	0.041	Afghanistan
1790s	0.124	0.0838	0.0402	Afghanistan
1800s	0.124	0.0844	0.0396	Afghanistan
1810s	0.124	0.0838	0.0402	Afghanistan
1820s	0.124	0.0836	0.0404	Afghanistan
1830s	0.124	0.0829	0.0411	Afghanistan
1840s	0.124	0.0821	0.0419	Afghanistan
1850s	0.124	0.083	0.041	Afghanistan
1860s	0.124	0.0776	0.0464	Afghanistan
1870s	0.124	0.0754	0.0486	Afghanistan
1880s	0.11	0.0905	0.0195	Afghanistan
1890s	0.0992	0.161	0.0618	North Korea
1900s	0.134	0.2023	0.0683	North Korea
1910s	0.15	0.119	0.031	Afghanistan
1940s	0.2762	0.074	0.2022	Afghanistan
1950s	0.2699	0.0427	0.2272	Afghanistan
1960s	0.3107	0.0202	0.2905	Afghanistan
1970s	0.2259	0.0154	0.2105	Afghanistan
1980s	0.0813	0.015	0.0663	Afghanistan
1990s	0.0562	0.015	0.0412	Afghanistan
2000s	0.4404	0.015	0.4254	Afghanistan
2010s	0.518	0.0167	0.5013	Afghanistan
2020s	0.1287	0.0218	0.1068	Afghanistan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human rights index, Afghanistan or North Korea?: Afghanistan, at 0.041 against 0.024 in North Korea as of 2025.
What is the difference in human rights index between Afghanistan and North Korea?: 0.017, with Afghanistan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and North Korea?: 203 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Afghanistan and North Korea rank globally for human rights index?: Afghanistan ranks 175th and North Korea ranks 176th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Human Rights Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs North Korea: Human Rights Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/human-rights-index-vdem/afghanistan/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.