Press Freedom Index in South Korea
South Korea: Press Freedom Index was 23.43 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Press Freedom Index in South Korea, 2013–2021
Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 23.43 for press freedom index in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom index in South Korea peaked at 28.58 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 23.43, in 2021.
South Korea ranks 136th of 177 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Press Freedom Index in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 24.48 | — |
| 2014 | 25.66 | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 26.55 | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 28.58 | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 27.61 | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 23.51 | -14.8% |
| 2019 | 24.94 | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 23.7 | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 23.43 | -1.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 23.43 is above the median for high income countries, which is 23.1, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 23.43 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 37.4, 63% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 25.9 | 23.51 | 28.58 | 7 |
| 2020s | 23.56 | 23.43 | 23.7 | 2 |
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 press freedom index in South Korea?
- Press freedom index in South Korea was 23.43 in 2021, according to Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom index recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.58 in 2016.
- What is the lowest press freedom index recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.43 in 2021.
- How does South Korea rank for press freedom index?
- South Korea ranks 136th out of 177 countries with data for 2021.
- Is press freedom index rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Reporters sans Frontieres (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press Freedom Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The index combines expert estimates with data on violence against journalists. It ranges from 0-100 (no freedom).