North Korea vs South Sudan: Participatory Democracy Index
North Korea
0.044
in 2025
South Sudan
0.047
in 2025
North Korea rank
165th
South Sudan rank
164th
Participatory Democracy Index over time
- North Korea
- South Sudan
How they compare
South Sudan currently reports 0.047 against 0.044 in North Korea, a difference of 0.003.
That makes South Sudan's figure about 1.1 times North Korea's.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 156 shared years of data; in 1821 it was South Sudan ahead.
North Korea ranks 165th and South Sudan ranks 164th of 176 countries.
Across the 18 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 1 and South Sudan in 17.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.011 | 0.024 | 0.013 | South Sudan |
| 1830s | 0.011 | 0.024 | 0.013 | South Sudan |
| 1840s | 0.011 | 0.024 | 0.013 | South Sudan |
| 1850s | 0.011 | 0.024 | 0.013 | South Sudan |
| 1860s | 0.011 | 0.024 | 0.013 | South Sudan |
| 1870s | 0.011 | 0.0297 | 0.0187 | South Sudan |
| 1880s | 0.011 | 0.038 | 0.027 | South Sudan |
| 1900s | 0.0094 | 0.039 | 0.0296 | South Sudan |
| 1910s | 0.007 | 0.039 | 0.032 | South Sudan |
| 1940s | 0.0522 | 0.0462 | 0.006 | North Korea |
| 1950s | 0.053 | 0.0837 | 0.0307 | South Sudan |
| 1960s | 0.049 | 0.0667 | 0.0177 | South Sudan |
| 1970s | 0.0448 | 0.0538 | 0.009 | South Sudan |
| 1980s | 0.0434 | 0.1116 | 0.0682 | South Sudan |
| 1990s | 0.0432 | 0.0492 | 0.006 | South Sudan |
| 2000s | 0.043 | 0.0849 | 0.0419 | South Sudan |
| 2010s | 0.0435 | 0.0701 | 0.0266 | South Sudan |
| 2020s | 0.0438 | 0.0682 | 0.0243 | South Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher participatory democracy index, North Korea or South Sudan?
- South Sudan, at 0.047 against 0.044 in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in participatory democracy index between North Korea and South Sudan?
- 0.003, with South Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Sudan?
- 156 years are reported by both, from 1821 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and South Sudan rank globally for participatory democracy index?
- North Korea ranks 165th and South Sudan ranks 164th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.