Which has higher liberal democracy index, Canada or South Korea?

South Korea, at 0.739 against 0.736 in Canada as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and South Korea?

185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

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

Canada vs South Korea: Liberal Democracy Index

Canada

0.736

in 2025

South Korea

0.739

in 2025

Canada rank

23rd

South Korea rank

22nd

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Canada
South Korea

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 0.739 against 0.736 in Canada, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 185 shared years of data; in 1841 it was Canada ahead.

Canada ranks 23rd and South Korea ranks 22nd of 176 countries.

Canada has averaged higher in every one of the 19 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Canada	South Korea	Difference	Ahead
1840s	0.2846	0.0149	0.2697	Canada
1850s	0.283	0.014	0.269	Canada
1860s	0.2946	0.0152	0.2794	Canada
1870s	0.3561	0.0154	0.3407	Canada
1880s	0.3871	0.0163	0.3708	Canada
1890s	0.4025	0.0243	0.3782	Canada
1900s	0.4134	0.0325	0.3809	Canada
1910s	0.4055	0.021	0.3845	Canada
1920s	0.5346	0.021	0.5136	Canada
1930s	0.5565	0.0207	0.5358	Canada
1940s	0.5771	0.05	0.5271	Canada
1950s	0.6599	0.1455	0.5144	Canada
1960s	0.724	0.1367	0.5873	Canada
1970s	0.7422	0.1065	0.6357	Canada
1980s	0.7524	0.2043	0.5481	Canada
1990s	0.7571	0.6064	0.1507	Canada
2000s	0.7524	0.7399	0.0125	Canada
2010s	0.7509	0.6778	0.0731	Canada
2020s	0.7435	0.7102	0.0333	Canada

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Canada or South Korea?: South Korea, at 0.739 against 0.736 in Canada as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Canada and South Korea?: 0.003, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and South Korea?: 185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.
How do Canada and South Korea rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Canada ranks 23rd and South Korea ranks 22nd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.