Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
North Korea: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
North Korea is placed 119th of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: GovTech Maturity Index 0.01 (2025); Government AI Readiness Index 21.15 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
119th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place North Korea on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
0.01
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
North Korea: 0.01. Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0.997 South Korea
- Land neighbours
- China 0.651 · South Korea 0.997 · Russia 0.96
21.15
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 167th of 195 by Oxford Insights
North Korea: 21.15. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 76.89 South Korea
- Land neighbours
- China 76.27 · South Korea 76.89 · Russia 59.57
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
2.771
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
North Korea: 2.771. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 3.226 China
- Land neighbours
- China 3.226 · South Korea 2.231 · Russia 2.107
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
No reading
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
UNCTAD publishes no 2024 figure for North Korea, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 52.9 Japan
- Land neighbours
- China 50.47 · South Korea 50.66 · Russia 24.25
02Over time
Which way North Korea is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
North KoreaWorld median
North Korea was at 2.771 in both 2000 and 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year North Korea World median 2025 3 0.20 2024 3 0.11 2023 3 0.14 2022 3 0.16 2021 3 0.12 2020 3 0.12 2019 3 0.10 2018 3 -0.05 2017 3 -0.08 2016 3 -0.10 2015 3 -0.17 2014 3 -0.21 2013 3 -0.21 2012 3 -0.25 2011 3 -0.32 2010 3 -0.31 2009 3 -0.50 2008 3 -0.51 2007 3 -0.51 2006 3 -0.55 2005 3 -0.55 2004 3 -0.55 2003 3 -0.55 2002 3 -0.51 2001 3 -0.51 2000 3 -0.51
03In context
North Korea beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
North Korea and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Koreacompare | =1st | 0.997 | 76.89 | 2.231 | 50.66 |
 China | =23rd | 0.651 | 76.27 | 3.226 | 50.47 |
 Russia | =34th | 0.96 | 59.57 | 2.107 | 24.25 |
| North Korea | 119th | 0.01 | 21.15 | 2.771 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below North Korea in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where North Korea is ahead of the world, and behind
3 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which North Korea does worse than the middle country measured.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.114-2.618-0.114▼ Worsened since 2015
North Korea: -2.618 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 168th of 176 · derived.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.023-3.2191.023No real change since 2015
North Korea: -3.219 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 175th of 176 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.505-3.7210.505No real change since 2015
North Korea: -3.721 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 176th of 176 · derived.
No current reading for North Korea
AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, Firms Experiencing Internet Disruptions, Firms with Their Own Website, Frontier Technology Readiness Index, GitHub Developers, GitHub Git Pushes, GitHub Repositories, ICT Goods Exports, ICT Services Exports, Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment, Mobile Phone Ownership, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Share of Firms' Payments Made Electronically, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes (last 2015) and Smartphone Ownership. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among North Korea’s 10 topics
Digital & Technology is North Korea’s 6th best-placed topic of 10. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture49th of 1842/4 keys
- Energy51st of 1652/3 keys
- Work & Labour81st of 1824/4 keys
- Peace & Security94th of 1773/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing115th of 2003/4 keys
- Digital & Technology119th of 1983/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 121st of 1862/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience147th of 1933/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 191st of 1943/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties196th of 1983/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Education & Knowledge, Development & Human Capital, Gender & Equality, Mobility & Trade, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders North Korea can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
South Korea=1st4/4 keysThis page
North Korea119th3/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
North Korea on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does North Korea rank on digital & technology?
North Korea is placed 119th of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (GovTech Maturity Index, Government AI Readiness Index and Government Cyber Security Capacity). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest GovTech Maturity Index figure for North Korea?
0.01 in 2025 (gTMI score (0–1)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.63.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for North Korea?
21.15 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
How does North Korea compare with China on digital & technology?
China is placed joint 23rd of 198, and North Korea 119th. GovTech Maturity Index: China 0.651, North Korea 0.01; Government AI Readiness Index: China 76.27, North Korea 21.15; Government Cyber Security Capacity: China 3.226, North Korea 2.771.
How have North Korea’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government Cyber Security Capacity was 2.771 in both 2000 and 2025.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for North Korea?
No current reading is published for North Korea on AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, Firms Experiencing Internet Disruptions, Firms with Their Own Website, Frontier Technology Readiness Index, GitHub Developers, GitHub Git Pushes, GitHub Repositories, ICT Goods Exports, ICT Services Exports, Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment, Mobile Phone Ownership, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Share of Firms' Payments Made Electronically, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes and Smartphone Ownership. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 3 statistics on this page come from 1 publisher, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
North Korea’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). North Korea: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/north-korea/digital