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

South Korea, at 0.739 against 0.72 in Iceland as of 2025.

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

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 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.

Iceland vs South Korea: Liberal Democracy Index

Iceland

0.72

in 2025

South Korea

0.739

in 2025

Iceland rank

25th

South Korea rank

22nd

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Iceland
South Korea

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 0.739 against 0.72 in Iceland, a difference of 0.019.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 25th and South Korea ranks 22nd of 176 countries.

Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	South Korea	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.4157	0.0325	0.3832	Iceland
1910s	0.5491	0.021	0.5281	Iceland
1920s	0.6642	0.021	0.6432	Iceland
1930s	0.6604	0.0207	0.6397	Iceland
1940s	0.6733	0.05	0.6233	Iceland
1950s	0.698	0.1455	0.5525	Iceland
1960s	0.7079	0.1367	0.5712	Iceland
1970s	0.7194	0.1065	0.6129	Iceland
1980s	0.7506	0.2043	0.5463	Iceland
1990s	0.7787	0.6064	0.1723	Iceland
2000s	0.7843	0.7399	0.0444	Iceland
2010s	0.7845	0.6778	0.1067	Iceland
2020s	0.7498	0.7102	0.0397	Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Iceland or South Korea?: South Korea, at 0.739 against 0.72 in Iceland as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Iceland and South Korea?: 0.019, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Korea?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iceland and South Korea rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Iceland ranks 25th 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.