Freedom in North Korea
Where North Korea sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. North Korea has a figure for 39 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.013 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.025 | 2025 | 158 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.024 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.053 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.099 | 2025 | 154 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.036 | 2025 | 160 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | -2.775 | 2025 | 159 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | -2.517 | 2025 | 160 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | -2.927 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 0.000 | 2025 | 159 of 167 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 127 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 0.000 | 2025 | 131 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 3.0 | 2025 | 165 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 0.0 | 2025 | 158 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory quality | 25.3 | 2024 | 165 of 169 |
| Unemployment | 3.5% | 2025 | 54 of 163 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.083 | 2025 | 157 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.014 | 2025 | 162 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.033 | 2025 | 160 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.003 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.087 | 2025 | 146 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.670 | 2025 | 103 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.028 | 2025 | 163 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.290 | 2025 | 158 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 22.1 | 2024 | 166 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 16.3 | 2024 | 163 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 26.6 | 2024 | 154 of 169 |
| Political stability | 71.4 | 2024 | 53 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 73.7 | 2024 | 87 of 170 |
| Maternal mortality | 67.0 | 2023 | 98 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 17.6% | 2025 | 118 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 77.7% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 1.78 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 64.2% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 1.1 | 2024 | 33 of 168 |
| Population | 26.6M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 2.50 | 2024 | 78 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 14.7% | 2021 | 118 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 61.4% | 2024 | 139 of 169 |
What is missing
21 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for North Korea in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for North Korea, not a zero. Who publishes what