Deliberative Democracy Index in South Korea
South Korea: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.751 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Deliberative Democracy Index in South Korea, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, deliberative democracy index in South Korea stood at 0.751.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.9% on the previous year and up 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in South Korea peaked at 0.785 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.01, in 1910.
South Korea ranks 16th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deliberative Democracy Index in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.018 | — |
| 1901 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.013 | -27.8% |
| 1905 | 0.012 | -7.7% |
| 1906 | 0.013 | +8.3% |
| 1907 | 0.012 | -7.7% |
| 1908 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.01 | -16.7% |
| 1911 | 0.014 | +40.0% |
| 1912 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.015 | +7.1% |
| 1920 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.016 | +6.7% |
| 1943 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.02 | +25.0% |
| 1946 | 0.018 | -10.0% |
| 1947 | 0.017 | -5.6% |
| 1948 | 0.035 | +105.9% |
| 1949 | 0.057 | +62.9% |
| 1950 | 0.043 | -24.6% |
| 1951 | 0.042 | -2.3% |
| 1952 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.043 | +2.4% |
| 1954 | 0.059 | +37.2% |
| 1955 | 0.059 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.058 | -1.7% |
| 1957 | 0.06 | +3.4% |
| 1958 | 0.06 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.06 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.179 | +198.3% |
| 1961 | 0.071 | -60.3% |
| 1962 | 0.044 | -38.0% |
| 1963 | 0.045 | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 0.065 | +44.4% |
| 1965 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.066 | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.064 | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 0.041 | -35.9% |
| 1973 | 0.036 | -12.2% |
| 1974 | 0.037 | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.073 | +97.3% |
| 1981 | 0.059 | -19.2% |
| 1982 | 0.061 | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.064 | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 0.073 | +14.1% |
| 1985 | 0.092 | +26.0% |
| 1986 | 0.094 | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 0.179 | +90.4% |
| 1988 | 0.478 | +167.0% |
| 1989 | 0.501 | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 0.503 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.615 | +22.3% |
| 1994 | 0.621 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 0.621 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.628 | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 0.634 | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 0.729 | +15.0% |
| 1999 | 0.749 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 0.772 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 0.776 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 0.776 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.777 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.777 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.63 | -18.9% |
| 2009 | 0.63 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.631 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.631 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.623 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.567 | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 0.552 | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.545 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 0.567 | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 0.781 | +37.7% |
| 2018 | 0.783 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.757 | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 0.777 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.785 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 0.688 | -12.4% |
| 2023 | 0.609 | -11.5% |
| 2024 | 0.592 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 0.751 | +26.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.751 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.665, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.751 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.358, 2.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deliberative Democracy Index in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | +198.3% | 0.06 | 0.179 |
| 1988 | +167.0% | 0.179 | 0.478 |
| 1948 | +105.9% | 0.017 | 0.035 |
| 1980 | +97.3% | 0.037 | 0.073 |
| 1987 | +90.4% | 0.094 | 0.179 |
| 1949 | +62.9% | 0.035 | 0.057 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0146 | 0.012 | 0.018 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0137 | 0.01 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.015 | 0.015 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.015 | 0.015 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0225 | 0.015 | 0.057 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0526 | 0.042 | 0.06 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0732 | 0.044 | 0.179 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0429 | 0.036 | 0.066 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1674 | 0.059 | 0.501 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6106 | 0.503 | 0.749 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7469 | 0.63 | 0.777 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6437 | 0.545 | 0.783 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7003 | 0.592 | 0.785 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More social development data for South Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,407 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deliberative democracy index in South Korea?
- Deliberative democracy index in South Korea was 0.751 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.785 in 2021.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.01 in 1910.
- How does South Korea rank for deliberative democracy index?
- South Korea ranks 16th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deliberative Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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 political elites justify their positions, justify them with the common good, acknowledge counterarguments, consult elites in policy changes, and society deliberates policy changes.