Judicial Corruption Score in North Korea
North Korea: Judicial Corruption Score was -0.931 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Judicial Corruption Score in North Korea, 1945–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, judicial corruption score in North Korea stood at -0.931.
That represents a change of up 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, judicial corruption score in North Korea peaked at 0.344 in 1945 and was at its lowest, -1.34, in 1995.
That places North Korea 125th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | -0.1 | -0.211 | 0.344 | 5 |
| 1950s | -0.211 | -0.211 | -0.211 | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.211 | -0.211 | -0.211 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.211 | -0.211 | -0.211 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.2968 | -0.64 | -0.211 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.9895 | -1.34 | -0.64 | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.34 | -1.34 | -1.34 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.3 | -1.34 | -0.931 | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.931 | -0.931 | -0.931 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More social development data for North Korea
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 263 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.083 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.013 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.025 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.083 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.044 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.014 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.083 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is judicial corruption score in North Korea?
- Judicial corruption score in North Korea was -0.931 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest judicial corruption score recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.344 in 1945.
- What is the lowest judicial corruption score recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.34 in 1995.
- How does North Korea rank for judicial corruption score?
- North Korea ranks 125th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is judicial corruption score rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Judicial Corruption Score. 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 how often individuals or businesses make undocumented extra payments or bribes to obtain a favorable judicial decision, or speed up or delay the process. Higher scores mean less corruption. A score of 0 is approximately the average across all countries and years.