Japan vs South Korea: Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index
Japan
0.845
in 2023
South Korea
0.857
in 2023
Japan rank
19th
South Korea rank
17th
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 0.857 against 0.845 in Japan, a difference of 0.012.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 14 shared years of data; in 2010 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 19th and South Korea ranks 17th of 163 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.8368 | 0.8235 | 0.0133 | Japan |
| 2020s | 0.8422 | 0.8492 | 0.007 | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher inequality-adjusted human development index, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 0.857 against 0.845 in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in inequality-adjusted human development index between Japan and South Korea?
- 0.012, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for inequality-adjusted human development index?
- Japan ranks 19th and South Korea ranks 17th of 163 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living, adjusted for inequalities in these dimensions. Higher values indicate higher and more equal human development.