What is freedom of association index in South Korea?

Freedom of association index in South Korea was 0.839 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 0.866 in 2018.

What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.032 in 1910.

How does South Korea rank for freedom of association index?

South Korea ranks 59th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of association index rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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 Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Association Index in South Korea

Name: Freedom of Association Index in South Korea
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Korea: Freedom of Association Index was 0.839 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.839

Change on year

up 3.7%

World rank

59th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.866

in 2018

All-time low

0.032

in 1910

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Association Index in South Korea, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of association index in South Korea stood at 0.839.

That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of association index in South Korea peaked at 0.866 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.032, in 1910.

South Korea ranks 59th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Freedom of Association Index in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Association Index in South Korea, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.048	—
1790	0.048	+0.0%
1791	0.048	+0.0%
1792	0.048	+0.0%
1793	0.048	+0.0%
1794	0.048	+0.0%
1795	0.048	+0.0%
1796	0.048	+0.0%
1797	0.048	+0.0%
1798	0.048	+0.0%
1799	0.048	+0.0%
1800	0.048	+0.0%
1801	0.048	+0.0%
1802	0.048	+0.0%
1803	0.048	+0.0%
1804	0.048	+0.0%
1805	0.048	+0.0%
1806	0.048	+0.0%
1807	0.048	+0.0%
1808	0.048	+0.0%
1809	0.048	+0.0%
1810	0.048	+0.0%
1811	0.048	+0.0%
1812	0.048	+0.0%
1813	0.048	+0.0%
1814	0.048	+0.0%
1815	0.048	+0.0%
1816	0.048	+0.0%
1817	0.048	+0.0%
1818	0.048	+0.0%
1819	0.048	+0.0%
1820	0.048	+0.0%
1821	0.048	+0.0%
1822	0.048	+0.0%
1823	0.048	+0.0%
1824	0.048	+0.0%
1825	0.048	+0.0%
1826	0.048	+0.0%
1827	0.048	+0.0%
1828	0.048	+0.0%
1829	0.048	+0.0%
1830	0.048	+0.0%
1831	0.048	+0.0%
1832	0.048	+0.0%
1833	0.048	+0.0%
1834	0.048	+0.0%
1835	0.048	+0.0%
1836	0.048	+0.0%
1837	0.048	+0.0%
1838	0.048	+0.0%
1839	0.048	+0.0%
1840	0.048	+0.0%
1841	0.048	+0.0%
1842	0.048	+0.0%
1843	0.048	+0.0%
1844	0.048	+0.0%
1845	0.048	+0.0%
1846	0.048	+0.0%
1847	0.048	+0.0%
1848	0.048	+0.0%
1849	0.048	+0.0%
1850	0.048	+0.0%
1851	0.048	+0.0%
1852	0.048	+0.0%
1853	0.048	+0.0%
1854	0.048	+0.0%
1855	0.048	+0.0%
1856	0.048	+0.0%
1857	0.048	+0.0%
1858	0.048	+0.0%
1859	0.048	+0.0%
1860	0.048	+0.0%
1861	0.048	+0.0%
1862	0.048	+0.0%
1863	0.048	+0.0%
1864	0.048	+0.0%
1865	0.048	+0.0%
1866	0.048	+0.0%
1867	0.048	+0.0%
1868	0.048	+0.0%
1869	0.048	+0.0%
1870	0.048	+0.0%
1871	0.048	+0.0%
1872	0.048	+0.0%
1873	0.048	+0.0%
1874	0.048	+0.0%
1875	0.048	+0.0%
1876	0.048	+0.0%
1877	0.048	+0.0%
1878	0.048	+0.0%
1879	0.048	+0.0%
1880	0.048	+0.0%
1881	0.048	+0.0%
1882	0.048	+0.0%
1883	0.048	+0.0%
1884	0.048	+0.0%
1885	0.048	+0.0%
1886	0.048	+0.0%
1887	0.048	+0.0%
1888	0.048	+0.0%
1889	0.048	+0.0%
1890	0.048	+0.0%
1891	0.048	+0.0%
1892	0.048	+0.0%
1893	0.048	+0.0%
1894	0.041	-14.6%
1895	0.051	+24.4%
1896	0.058	+13.7%
1897	0.058	+0.0%
1898	0.039	-32.8%
1899	0.039	+0.0%
1900	0.041	+5.1%
1901	0.041	+0.0%
1902	0.041	+0.0%
1903	0.041	+0.0%
1904	0.041	+0.0%
1905	0.037	-9.8%
1906	0.039	+5.4%
1907	0.035	-10.3%
1908	0.035	+0.0%
1909	0.035	+0.0%
1910	0.032	-8.6%
1911	0.035	+9.4%
1912	0.035	+0.0%
1913	0.035	+0.0%
1914	0.035	+0.0%
1915	0.035	+0.0%
1916	0.035	+0.0%
1917	0.035	+0.0%
1918	0.035	+0.0%
1919	0.036	+2.9%
1920	0.036	+0.0%
1921	0.036	+0.0%
1922	0.036	+0.0%
1923	0.036	+0.0%
1924	0.036	+0.0%
1925	0.036	+0.0%
1926	0.036	+0.0%
1927	0.036	+0.0%
1928	0.036	+0.0%
1929	0.036	+0.0%
1930	0.036	+0.0%
1931	0.036	+0.0%
1932	0.036	+0.0%
1933	0.036	+0.0%
1934	0.036	+0.0%
1935	0.036	+0.0%
1936	0.036	+0.0%
1937	0.036	+0.0%
1938	0.036	+0.0%
1939	0.036	+0.0%
1940	0.036	+0.0%
1941	0.036	+0.0%
1942	0.036	+0.0%
1943	0.036	+0.0%
1944	0.036	+0.0%
1945	0.369	+925.0%
1946	0.407	+10.3%
1947	0.359	-11.8%
1948	0.384	+7.0%
1949	0.392	+2.1%
1950	0.399	+1.8%
1951	0.416	+4.3%
1952	0.414	-0.5%
1953	0.421	+1.7%
1954	0.417	-1.0%
1955	0.415	-0.5%
1956	0.409	-1.4%
1957	0.405	-1.0%
1958	0.424	+4.7%
1959	0.433	+2.1%
1960	0.595	+37.4%
1961	0.194	-67.4%
1962	0.21	+8.2%
1963	0.311	+48.1%
1964	0.369	+18.6%
1965	0.369	+0.0%
1966	0.369	+0.0%
1967	0.378	+2.4%
1968	0.383	+1.3%
1969	0.383	+0.0%
1970	0.383	+0.0%
1971	0.382	-0.3%
1972	0.284	-25.7%
1973	0.247	-13.0%
1974	0.254	+2.8%
1975	0.254	+0.0%
1976	0.254	+0.0%
1977	0.254	+0.0%
1978	0.254	+0.0%
1979	0.25	-1.6%
1980	0.251	+0.4%
1981	0.218	-13.1%
1982	0.226	+3.7%
1983	0.233	+3.1%
1984	0.275	+18.0%
1985	0.444	+61.5%
1986	0.449	+1.1%
1987	0.54	+20.3%
1988	0.768	+42.2%
1989	0.775	+0.9%
1990	0.775	+0.0%
1991	0.775	+0.0%
1992	0.777	+0.3%
1993	0.82	+5.5%
1994	0.82	+0.0%
1995	0.82	+0.0%
1996	0.818	-0.2%
1997	0.817	-0.1%
1998	0.845	+3.4%
1999	0.845	+0.0%
2000	0.844	-0.1%
2001	0.843	-0.1%
2002	0.843	+0.0%
2003	0.845	+0.2%
2004	0.845	+0.0%
2005	0.845	+0.0%
2006	0.845	+0.0%
2007	0.845	+0.0%
2008	0.833	-1.4%
2009	0.833	+0.0%
2010	0.833	+0.0%
2011	0.833	+0.0%
2012	0.835	+0.2%
2013	0.835	+0.0%
2014	0.82	-1.8%
2015	0.834	+1.7%
2016	0.831	-0.4%
2017	0.865	+4.1%
2018	0.866	+0.1%
2019	0.839	-3.1%
2020	0.864	+3.0%
2021	0.865	+0.1%
2022	0.831	-3.9%
2023	0.797	-4.1%
2024	0.809	+1.5%
2025	0.839	+3.7%

South Korea compared with similar countries

South Korea's 0.839 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.868, 97% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
South Korea's 0.839 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.708, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.048	0.048	0.048	1
1790s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1800s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1810s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1820s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1830s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1840s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1850s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1860s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1870s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1880s	0.048	0.048	0.048	10
1890s	0.0478	0.039	0.058	10
1900s	0.0386	0.035	0.041	10
1910s	0.0348	0.032	0.036	10
1920s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1930s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1940s	0.2091	0.036	0.407	10
1950s	0.4153	0.399	0.433	10
1960s	0.3561	0.194	0.595	10
1970s	0.2816	0.247	0.383	10
1980s	0.4179	0.218	0.775	10
1990s	0.8112	0.775	0.845	10
2000s	0.8421	0.833	0.845	10
2010s	0.8391	0.82	0.866	10
2020s	0.8342	0.797	0.865	6

Countries ranked near South Korea

56 Nigeria 0.846 compare
57 East Timor 0.844 compare
58 Lithuania 0.841 compare
59 Argentina 0.839 compare
59 Slovakia 0.839 compare
62 Sierra Leone 0.837 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of association index in South Korea?: Freedom of association index in South Korea was 0.839 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 0.866 in 2018.
What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.032 in 1910.
How does South Korea rank for freedom of association index?: South Korea ranks 59th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of association index rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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 Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Association Index in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-association-index/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Association Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,011 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which parties, including opposition parties, are allowed to form and participate in elections and the extent to which civil society organizations are allowed to form and operate freely.