What is participatory democracy index in South Korea?

Participatory democracy index in South Korea was 0.551 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 0.597 in 2018.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.006 in 1911.

How does South Korea rank for participatory democracy index?

South Korea ranks 27th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is up 19.3%. 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 Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea

Name: Participatory Democracy 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: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.551 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.551

Change on year

up 15.3%

World rank

27th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.597

in 2018

All-time low

0.006

in 1911

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

South Korea recorded 0.551 for participatory democracy index in 2025.

That represents a change of up 15.3% on the previous year and up 19.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in South Korea peaked at 0.597 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.006, in 1911.

That places South Korea 27th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.011	—
1790	0.011	+0.0%
1791	0.011	+0.0%
1792	0.011	+0.0%
1793	0.011	+0.0%
1794	0.011	+0.0%
1795	0.011	+0.0%
1796	0.011	+0.0%
1797	0.011	+0.0%
1798	0.011	+0.0%
1799	0.011	+0.0%
1800	0.011	+0.0%
1801	0.011	+0.0%
1802	0.011	+0.0%
1803	0.011	+0.0%
1804	0.011	+0.0%
1805	0.011	+0.0%
1806	0.011	+0.0%
1807	0.011	+0.0%
1808	0.011	+0.0%
1809	0.011	+0.0%
1810	0.011	+0.0%
1811	0.011	+0.0%
1812	0.011	+0.0%
1813	0.011	+0.0%
1814	0.011	+0.0%
1815	0.011	+0.0%
1816	0.011	+0.0%
1817	0.011	+0.0%
1818	0.011	+0.0%
1819	0.011	+0.0%
1820	0.011	+0.0%
1821	0.011	+0.0%
1822	0.011	+0.0%
1823	0.011	+0.0%
1824	0.011	+0.0%
1825	0.011	+0.0%
1826	0.011	+0.0%
1827	0.011	+0.0%
1828	0.011	+0.0%
1829	0.011	+0.0%
1830	0.011	+0.0%
1831	0.011	+0.0%
1832	0.011	+0.0%
1833	0.011	+0.0%
1834	0.011	+0.0%
1835	0.011	+0.0%
1836	0.011	+0.0%
1837	0.011	+0.0%
1838	0.011	+0.0%
1839	0.011	+0.0%
1840	0.011	+0.0%
1841	0.011	+0.0%
1842	0.011	+0.0%
1843	0.011	+0.0%
1844	0.011	+0.0%
1845	0.011	+0.0%
1846	0.011	+0.0%
1847	0.011	+0.0%
1848	0.011	+0.0%
1849	0.011	+0.0%
1850	0.011	+0.0%
1851	0.011	+0.0%
1852	0.011	+0.0%
1853	0.011	+0.0%
1854	0.011	+0.0%
1855	0.011	+0.0%
1856	0.011	+0.0%
1857	0.011	+0.0%
1858	0.011	+0.0%
1859	0.011	+0.0%
1860	0.011	+0.0%
1861	0.011	+0.0%
1862	0.011	+0.0%
1863	0.011	+0.0%
1864	0.011	+0.0%
1865	0.011	+0.0%
1866	0.011	+0.0%
1867	0.011	+0.0%
1868	0.011	+0.0%
1869	0.011	+0.0%
1870	0.011	+0.0%
1871	0.011	+0.0%
1872	0.011	+0.0%
1873	0.011	+0.0%
1874	0.011	+0.0%
1875	0.011	+0.0%
1876	0.011	+0.0%
1877	0.011	+0.0%
1878	0.011	+0.0%
1879	0.011	+0.0%
1880	0.011	+0.0%
1881	0.011	+0.0%
1882	0.011	+0.0%
1883	0.011	+0.0%
1884	0.011	+0.0%
1885	0.011	+0.0%
1886	0.011	+0.0%
1887	0.011	+0.0%
1888	0.011	+0.0%
1889	0.011	+0.0%
1890	0.011	+0.0%
1891	0.011	+0.0%
1892	0.011	+0.0%
1893	0.011	+0.0%
1894	0.011	+0.0%
1895	0.007	-36.4%
1896	0.009	+28.6%
1897	0.008	-11.1%
1898	0.008	+0.0%
1899	0.008	+0.0%
1900	0.01	+25.0%
1901	0.01	+0.0%
1902	0.01	+0.0%
1903	0.01	+0.0%
1904	0.009	-10.0%
1905	0.009	+0.0%
1906	0.009	+0.0%
1907	0.009	+0.0%
1908	0.009	+0.0%
1909	0.009	+0.0%
1910	0.007	-22.2%
1911	0.006	-14.3%
1912	0.006	+0.0%
1913	0.006	+0.0%
1914	0.006	+0.0%
1915	0.006	+0.0%
1916	0.006	+0.0%
1917	0.006	+0.0%
1918	0.006	+0.0%
1919	0.006	+0.0%
1920	0.006	+0.0%
1921	0.006	+0.0%
1922	0.006	+0.0%
1923	0.006	+0.0%
1924	0.006	+0.0%
1925	0.006	+0.0%
1926	0.006	+0.0%
1927	0.006	+0.0%
1928	0.006	+0.0%
1929	0.006	+0.0%
1930	0.006	+0.0%
1931	0.006	+0.0%
1932	0.006	+0.0%
1933	0.006	+0.0%
1934	0.006	+0.0%
1935	0.006	+0.0%
1936	0.006	+0.0%
1937	0.006	+0.0%
1938	0.006	+0.0%
1939	0.006	+0.0%
1940	0.006	+0.0%
1941	0.006	+0.0%
1942	0.006	+0.0%
1943	0.006	+0.0%
1944	0.006	+0.0%
1945	0.018	+200.0%
1946	0.026	+44.4%
1947	0.026	+0.0%
1948	0.051	+96.2%
1949	0.076	+49.0%
1950	0.078	+2.6%
1951	0.077	-1.3%
1952	0.097	+26.0%
1953	0.098	+1.0%
1954	0.1	+2.0%
1955	0.1	+0.0%
1956	0.1	+0.0%
1957	0.099	-1.0%
1958	0.1	+1.0%
1959	0.1	+0.0%
1960	0.132	+32.0%
1961	0.066	-50.0%
1962	0.061	-7.6%
1963	0.066	+8.2%
1964	0.088	+33.3%
1965	0.088	+0.0%
1966	0.088	+0.0%
1967	0.088	+0.0%
1968	0.087	-1.1%
1969	0.089	+2.3%
1970	0.09	+1.1%
1971	0.089	-1.1%
1972	0.077	-13.5%
1973	0.065	-15.6%
1974	0.066	+1.5%
1975	0.084	+27.3%
1976	0.083	-1.2%
1977	0.082	-1.2%
1978	0.081	-1.2%
1979	0.081	+0.0%
1980	0.085	+4.9%
1981	0.078	-8.2%
1982	0.08	+2.6%
1983	0.082	+2.5%
1984	0.087	+6.1%
1985	0.108	+24.1%
1986	0.109	+0.9%
1987	0.145	+33.0%
1988	0.279	+92.4%
1989	0.301	+7.9%
1990	0.3	-0.3%
1991	0.341	+13.7%
1992	0.34	-0.3%
1993	0.392	+15.3%
1994	0.428	+9.2%
1995	0.477	+11.4%
1996	0.48	+0.6%
1997	0.483	+0.6%
1998	0.567	+17.4%
1999	0.572	+0.9%
2000	0.587	+2.6%
2001	0.588	+0.2%
2002	0.586	-0.3%
2003	0.586	+0.0%
2004	0.59	+0.7%
2005	0.589	-0.2%
2006	0.588	-0.2%
2007	0.587	-0.2%
2008	0.514	-12.4%
2009	0.514	+0.0%
2010	0.517	+0.6%
2011	0.517	+0.0%
2012	0.509	-1.5%
2013	0.472	-7.3%
2014	0.465	-1.5%
2015	0.462	-0.6%
2016	0.469	+1.5%
2017	0.593	+26.4%
2018	0.597	+0.7%
2019	0.569	-4.7%
2020	0.584	+2.6%
2021	0.585	+0.2%
2022	0.537	-8.2%
2023	0.478	-11.0%
2024	0.478	+0.0%
2025	0.551	+15.3%

South Korea compared with similar countries

South Korea's 0.551 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.529, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
South Korea's 0.551 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2725, 2.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.011	0.011	0.011	1
1790s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1800s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1810s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1820s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1830s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1840s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1850s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1860s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1870s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1880s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1890s	0.0095	0.007	0.011	10
1900s	0.0094	0.009	0.01	10
1910s	0.0061	0.006	0.007	10
1920s	0.006	0.006	0.006	10
1930s	0.006	0.006	0.006	10
1940s	0.0227	0.006	0.076	10
1950s	0.0949	0.077	0.1	10
1960s	0.0853	0.061	0.132	10
1970s	0.0798	0.065	0.09	10
1980s	0.1354	0.078	0.301	10
1990s	0.438	0.3	0.572	10
2000s	0.5729	0.514	0.59	10
2010s	0.517	0.462	0.597	10
2020s	0.5355	0.478	0.585	6

Countries ranked near South Korea

24 Lithuania 0.56 compare
25 Luxembourg 0.556 compare
26 Netherlands 0.553 compare
28 United Kingdom 0.533 compare
29 Malta 0.529 compare
29 Portugal 0.529 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 participatory democracy index in South Korea?: Participatory democracy index in South Korea was 0.551 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 0.597 in 2018.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.006 in 1911.
How does South Korea rank for participatory democracy index?: South Korea ranks 27th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is up 19.3%. 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 Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/participatory-democracy-index/korea-rep/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/participatory-democracy-index/korea-rep/">Participatory Democracy Index in South Korea</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.