Key media freedoms in North Korea
North Korea: Key media freedoms was -2.77 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
-2.77
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
171st
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.467
in 1896
All-time low
-2.79
in 1904
Years of data
96
1896–2025
Key media freedoms in North Korea, 1896–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key media freedoms in North Korea stood at -2.77.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in North Korea peaked at 0.467 in 1896 and was at its lowest, -2.79, in 1904.
That places North Korea 171st out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 96 years of available data.
Key media freedoms in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 0.467 | — |
| 1897 | -1.97 | -522.7% |
| 1898 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1899 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1900 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1901 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -1.97 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -2.79 | +41.5% |
| 1905 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -2.79 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -1.41 | -49.5% |
| 1946 | -1.41 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -1.41 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -2.77 | +96.5% |
| 1949 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -2.77 | -0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's -2.77 is below the median for low income countries, which is -0.42, 6.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's -2.77 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3835. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | -1.36 | -1.97 | 0.467 | 4 |
| 1900s | -2.47 | -2.79 | -1.97 | 10 |
| 1910s | -2.79 | -2.79 | -2.79 | 1 |
| 1940s | -1.96 | -2.77 | -1.41 | 5 |
| 1950s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 1960s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.77 | -2.77 | -2.77 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
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 key media freedoms in North Korea?
- Key media freedoms in North Korea was -2.77 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.467 in 1896.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.79 in 1904.
- How does North Korea rank for key media freedoms?
- North Korea ranks 171st out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 media freedoms. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 96 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which the government directly or indirectly attempts to censor political content in print and broadcast media, through formal restrictions or indirect pressures such as financial control, licensing, or access to distribution channels.