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Key features of human rights in North Korea

North Korea: Key features of human rights was 0.024 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.024
Change on year
up 26.3%
World rank
176th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.268
in 1896
All-time low
0.015
in 1972
Years of data
203
1789–2025

Key features of human rights in North Korea, 1789–2025

00.10.20.3178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, key features of human rights in North Korea stood at 0.024.

The figure is up 26.3% on the previous year and up 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key features of human rights in North Korea peaked at 0.268 in 1896 and was at its lowest, 0.015, in 1972.

North Korea ranks 176th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Key features of human rights in North Korea, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.083 —
1790 0.083 +0.0%
1791 0.083 +0.0%
1792 0.084 +1.2%
1793 0.084 +0.0%
1794 0.084 +0.0%
1795 0.084 +0.0%
1796 0.084 +0.0%
1797 0.084 +0.0%
1798 0.084 +0.0%
1799 0.084 +0.0%
1800 0.086 +2.4%
1801 0.083 -3.5%
1802 0.085 +2.4%
1803 0.086 +1.2%
1804 0.084 -2.3%
1805 0.084 +0.0%
1806 0.084 +0.0%
1807 0.084 +0.0%
1808 0.084 +0.0%
1809 0.084 +0.0%
1810 0.084 +0.0%
1811 0.084 +0.0%
1812 0.084 +0.0%
1813 0.084 +0.0%
1814 0.083 -1.2%
1815 0.083 +0.0%
1816 0.084 +1.2%
1817 0.084 +0.0%
1818 0.084 +0.0%
1819 0.084 +0.0%
1820 0.084 +0.0%
1821 0.084 +0.0%
1822 0.084 +0.0%
1823 0.084 +0.0%
1824 0.084 +0.0%
1825 0.084 +0.0%
1826 0.084 +0.0%
1827 0.082 -2.4%
1828 0.083 +1.2%
1829 0.083 +0.0%
1830 0.083 +0.0%
1831 0.083 +0.0%
1832 0.083 +0.0%
1833 0.083 +0.0%
1834 0.083 +0.0%
1835 0.083 +0.0%
1836 0.083 +0.0%
1837 0.083 +0.0%
1838 0.083 +0.0%
1839 0.082 -1.2%
1840 0.082 +0.0%
1841 0.082 +0.0%
1842 0.082 +0.0%
1843 0.082 +0.0%
1844 0.082 +0.0%
1845 0.082 +0.0%
1846 0.082 +0.0%
1847 0.082 +0.0%
1848 0.082 +0.0%
1849 0.083 +1.2%
1850 0.083 +0.0%
1851 0.083 +0.0%
1852 0.083 +0.0%
1853 0.083 +0.0%
1854 0.083 +0.0%
1855 0.083 +0.0%
1856 0.083 +0.0%
1857 0.083 +0.0%
1858 0.083 +0.0%
1859 0.083 +0.0%
1860 0.082 -1.2%
1861 0.084 +2.4%
1862 0.084 +0.0%
1863 0.084 +0.0%
1864 0.075 -10.7%
1865 0.075 +0.0%
1866 0.073 -2.7%
1867 0.073 +0.0%
1868 0.073 +0.0%
1869 0.073 +0.0%
1870 0.073 +0.0%
1871 0.073 +0.0%
1872 0.073 +0.0%
1873 0.074 +1.4%
1874 0.074 +0.0%
1875 0.074 +0.0%
1876 0.076 +2.7%
1877 0.079 +3.9%
1878 0.079 +0.0%
1879 0.079 +0.0%
1880 0.079 +0.0%
1881 0.081 +2.5%
1882 0.088 +8.6%
1883 0.088 +0.0%
1884 0.088 +0.0%
1885 0.093 +5.7%
1886 0.097 +4.3%
1887 0.097 +0.0%
1888 0.097 +0.0%
1889 0.097 +0.0%
1890 0.097 +0.0%
1891 0.097 +0.0%
1892 0.097 +0.0%
1893 0.097 +0.0%
1894 0.111 +14.4%
1895 0.174 +56.8%
1896 0.268 +54.0%
1897 0.233 -13.1%
1898 0.218 -6.4%
1899 0.218 +0.0%
1900 0.21 -3.7%
1901 0.21 +0.0%
1902 0.21 +0.0%
1903 0.21 +0.0%
1904 0.202 -3.8%
1905 0.199 -1.5%
1906 0.197 -1.0%
1907 0.195 -1.0%
1908 0.195 +0.0%
1909 0.195 +0.0%
1910 0.119 -39.0%
1945 0.149 +25.2%
1946 0.059 -60.4%
1947 0.058 -1.7%
1948 0.052 -10.3%
1949 0.052 +0.0%
1950 0.049 -5.8%
1951 0.049 +0.0%
1952 0.049 +0.0%
1953 0.049 +0.0%
1954 0.049 +0.0%
1955 0.049 +0.0%
1956 0.048 -2.0%
1957 0.043 -10.4%
1958 0.021 -51.2%
1959 0.021 +0.0%
1960 0.021 +0.0%
1961 0.021 +0.0%
1962 0.021 +0.0%
1963 0.021 +0.0%
1964 0.021 +0.0%
1965 0.021 +0.0%
1966 0.021 +0.0%
1967 0.021 +0.0%
1968 0.017 -19.0%
1969 0.017 +0.0%
1970 0.017 +0.0%
1971 0.017 +0.0%
1972 0.015 -11.8%
1973 0.015 +0.0%
1974 0.015 +0.0%
1975 0.015 +0.0%
1976 0.015 +0.0%
1977 0.015 +0.0%
1978 0.015 +0.0%
1979 0.015 +0.0%
1980 0.015 +0.0%
1981 0.015 +0.0%
1982 0.015 +0.0%
1983 0.015 +0.0%
1984 0.015 +0.0%
1985 0.015 +0.0%
1986 0.015 +0.0%
1987 0.015 +0.0%
1988 0.015 +0.0%
1989 0.015 +0.0%
1990 0.015 +0.0%
1991 0.015 +0.0%
1992 0.015 +0.0%
1993 0.015 +0.0%
1994 0.015 +0.0%
1995 0.015 +0.0%
1996 0.015 +0.0%
1997 0.015 +0.0%
1998 0.015 +0.0%
1999 0.015 +0.0%
2000 0.015 +0.0%
2001 0.015 +0.0%
2002 0.015 +0.0%
2003 0.015 +0.0%
2004 0.015 +0.0%
2005 0.015 +0.0%
2006 0.015 +0.0%
2007 0.015 +0.0%
2008 0.015 +0.0%
2009 0.015 +0.0%
2010 0.016 +6.7%
2011 0.016 +0.0%
2012 0.016 +0.0%
2013 0.016 +0.0%
2014 0.016 +0.0%
2015 0.016 +0.0%
2016 0.016 +0.0%
2017 0.016 +0.0%
2018 0.016 +0.0%
2019 0.023 +43.7%
2020 0.024 +4.3%
2021 0.023 -4.2%
2022 0.023 +0.0%
2023 0.018 -21.7%
2024 0.019 +5.6%
2025 0.024 +26.3%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 0.024 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.42, 6% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 0.024 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.728, 3% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.083 0.083 0.083 1
1790s 0.0838 0.083 0.084 10
1800s 0.0844 0.083 0.086 10
1810s 0.0838 0.083 0.084 10
1820s 0.0836 0.082 0.084 10
1830s 0.0829 0.082 0.083 10
1840s 0.0821 0.082 0.083 10
1850s 0.083 0.083 0.083 10
1860s 0.0776 0.073 0.084 10
1870s 0.0754 0.073 0.079 10
1880s 0.0905 0.079 0.097 10
1890s 0.161 0.097 0.268 10
1900s 0.2023 0.195 0.21 10
1910s 0.119 0.119 0.119 1
1940s 0.074 0.052 0.149 5
1950s 0.0427 0.021 0.049 10
1960s 0.0202 0.017 0.021 10
1970s 0.0154 0.015 0.017 10
1980s 0.015 0.015 0.015 10
1990s 0.015 0.015 0.015 10
2000s 0.015 0.015 0.015 10
2010s 0.0167 0.016 0.023 10
2020s 0.0218 0.018 0.024 6

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 173 Nicaragua 0.077 compare
  2. 174 Eritrea 0.047 compare
  3. 175 Afghanistan 0.041 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is key features of human rights in North Korea?
Key features of human rights in North Korea was 0.024 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest key features of human rights recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.268 in 1896.
What is the lowest key features of human rights recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.015 in 1972.
How does North Korea rank for key features of human rights?
North Korea ranks 176th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is key features of human rights rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 50.0%. 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 Key features of human rights. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 203 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Relationships involving this indicator

Comparisons with other indicators across countries. Each was re-measured with population and national income held constant, so a relationship that only reflected country size is not listed here.

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Key features of human rights in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/key-features-of-human-rights/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Key features of human rights
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.