Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Korea
South Korea: Physical Integrity Rights Score was 1.85 in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Korea, 1948–2019
Source: Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2019, physical integrity rights score in South Korea stood at 1.85. That is the highest value across all 72 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 29.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physical integrity rights score in South Korea peaked at 1.85 in 2019 and was at its lowest, -1.48, in 1950.
South Korea ranks 59th of 193 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.
Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | -1.46 | — |
| 1949 | -1.46 | -0.3% |
| 1950 | -1.48 | +1.1% |
| 1951 | -1.31 | -11.0% |
| 1952 | -1.14 | -13.2% |
| 1953 | -0.7667 | -32.8% |
| 1954 | -0.5395 | -29.6% |
| 1955 | -0.3985 | -26.1% |
| 1956 | -0.277 | -30.5% |
| 1957 | -0.1972 | -28.8% |
| 1958 | -0.1237 | -37.3% |
| 1959 | -0.0701 | -43.3% |
| 1960 | -0.0289 | -58.8% |
| 1961 | -0.0041 | -85.8% |
| 1962 | 0.0187 | -555.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0289 | +54.2% |
| 1964 | 0.0304 | +5.5% |
| 1965 | 0.0287 | -5.7% |
| 1966 | 0.0213 | -25.7% |
| 1967 | 0.0079 | -63.0% |
| 1968 | -0.0027 | -134.2% |
| 1969 | -0.0382 | +1318.7% |
| 1970 | -0.0857 | +124.2% |
| 1971 | -0.14 | +63.2% |
| 1972 | -0.2092 | +49.4% |
| 1973 | -0.3075 | +47.0% |
| 1974 | -0.4144 | +34.8% |
| 1975 | -0.5624 | +35.7% |
| 1976 | -0.7507 | +33.5% |
| 1977 | -0.7865 | +4.8% |
| 1978 | -0.7208 | -8.4% |
| 1979 | -0.7174 | -0.5% |
| 1980 | -0.79 | +10.1% |
| 1981 | -0.8387 | +6.2% |
| 1982 | -0.8504 | +1.4% |
| 1983 | -0.8345 | -1.9% |
| 1984 | -0.7413 | -11.2% |
| 1985 | -0.7614 | +2.7% |
| 1986 | -0.7753 | +1.8% |
| 1987 | -0.7395 | -4.6% |
| 1988 | -0.5916 | -20.0% |
| 1989 | -0.7104 | +20.1% |
| 1990 | -0.7048 | -0.8% |
| 1991 | -0.6633 | -5.9% |
| 1992 | -0.4835 | -27.1% |
| 1993 | -0.146 | -69.8% |
| 1994 | -0.1276 | -12.6% |
| 1995 | -0.1036 | -18.7% |
| 1996 | -0.007 | -93.3% |
| 1997 | 0.3171 | -4650.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4387 | +38.3% |
| 1999 | 0.5103 | +16.3% |
| 2000 | 0.5574 | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 0.5279 | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 0.4025 | -23.8% |
| 2003 | 0.9148 | +127.3% |
| 2004 | 1.17 | +28.0% |
| 2005 | 1.41 | +20.8% |
| 2006 | 1.46 | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 1.44 | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 1.39 | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 1.43 | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 1.7 | +18.6% |
| 2011 | 1.74 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 1.76 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.75 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.61 | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 1.59 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 1.59 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.67 | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 1.85 | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 1.85 | +0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1.85 is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.22, 83% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1.85 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.85, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Physical Integrity Rights Score in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +4650.8% | -0.007 | 0.3171 |
| 1969 | -1318.7% | -0.0027 | -0.0382 |
| 1962 | +555.9% | -0.0041 | 0.0187 |
| 1968 | -134.2% | 0.0079 | -0.0027 |
| 1970 | -124.2% | -0.0382 | -0.0857 |
| 2003 | +127.3% | 0.4025 | 0.9148 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | -1.46 | -1.46 | -1.46 | 2 |
| 1950s | -0.6301 | -1.48 | -0.0701 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0062 | -0.0382 | 0.0304 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.4695 | -0.7865 | -0.0857 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.7633 | -0.8504 | -0.5916 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.097 | -0.7048 | 0.5103 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.07 | 0.4025 | 1.46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.71 | 1.59 | 1.85 | 10 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physical integrity rights score in South Korea?
- Physical integrity rights score in South Korea was 1.85 in 2019, according to Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest physical integrity rights score recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.85 in 2019.
- What is the lowest physical integrity rights score recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.48 in 1950.
- How does South Korea rank for physical integrity rights score?
- South Korea ranks 59th out of 193 countries with data for 2019.
- Is physical integrity rights score rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Fariss et al. (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Physical Integrity Rights Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 72 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The score captures the extent to which citizens are protected from government killings, torture, political imprisonments, extrajudicial executions, mass killings and disappearances. Large positive scores mean abuses are rare relative to other countries and years, large negative scores that abuses are relatively widespread.