China vs Iran: Democracy Index

China
-7
in 2018
Iran
-7
in 2018
China rank
149th
Iran rank
149th

Democracy Index over time

  • China
  • Iran
-10-505180019092018

How they compare

China currently reports -7 against -7 in Iran, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 208 shared years of data; in 1800 it was China ahead.

China ranks 149th and Iran ranks 149th of 167 countries.

Across the 22 decades both report, China averaged higher in 13 and Iran in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Iran Difference Ahead
1800s -6 -10 4 China
1810s -6 -10 4 China
1820s -6 -10 4 China
1830s -6 -10 4 China
1840s -6 -10 4 China
1850s -6 -10 4 China
1860s -6 -10 4 China
1870s -6 -10 4 China
1880s -6 -10 4 China
1890s -6 -10 4 China
1900s -6 -6 0
1910s -3.8 0 3.8 Iran
1920s -5 -4.9 0.1 Iran
1930s -5 -7.29 2.29 China
1940s -5.75 4 9.75 Iran
1950s -8 -5.8 2.2 Iran
1960s -8.3 -10 1.7 China
1970s -7.6 -9.6 2 China
1980s -7 -6 1 Iran
1990s -7 -3.3 3.7 Iran
2000s -7 -2.6 4.4 Iran
2010s -7 -7 0

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher democracy index, China or Iran?
China, at -7 against -7 in Iran as of 2018.
What is the difference in democracy index between China and Iran?
0, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran?
208 years are reported by both, from 1800 to 2018.
How do China and Iran rank globally for democracy index?
China ranks 149th and Iran ranks 149th of 167 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Democracy Index
Source
Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed

It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).