Executive Corruption Index in North Korea
North Korea: Executive Corruption Index was 0.855 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
0.855
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.927
in 1947
All-time low
0.71
in 1945
Years of data
81
1945–2025
Executive Corruption Index in North Korea, 1945–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 0.855 for executive corruption index in 2025.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, executive corruption index in North Korea peaked at 0.927 in 1947 and was at its lowest, 0.71, in 1945.
That places North Korea 16th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Executive Corruption Index in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 0.71 | — |
| 1946 | 0.881 | +24.1% |
| 1947 | 0.927 | +5.2% |
| 1948 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.927 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.881 | -5.0% |
| 1955 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.875 | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.875 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.88 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 0.88 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.88 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.892 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 0.892 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.892 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.892 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.892 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.9 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.9 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.894 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.883 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.855 | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.855 | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 0.855 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.742, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 0.855 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.45, 1.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.8744 | 0.71 | 0.927 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0.8994 | 0.881 | 0.927 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8798 | 0.875 | 0.881 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.875 | 0.875 | 0.875 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8765 | 0.875 | 0.88 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.896 | 0.892 | 0.9 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8617 | 0.855 | 0.894 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.855 | 0.855 | 0.855 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 13 Turkmenistan 0.875 compare
- 14 Nigeria 0.864 compare
- 15 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.859 compare
- 17 Bolivia 0.846 compare
- 18 Papua New Guinea 0.831 compare
- 19 Mauritania 0.829 compare
More social development data for North Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 263 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (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 263 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -7.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.024 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is executive corruption index in North Korea?
- Executive corruption index in North Korea was 0.855 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest executive corruption index recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.927 in 1947.
- What is the lowest executive corruption index recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.71 in 1945.
- How does North Korea rank for executive corruption index?
- North Korea ranks 16th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is executive corruption index rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Executive Corruption Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 81 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which high-ranking members of the executive, such as the head of government or cabinet ministers, engage in bribery and theft. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (highly corrupt).