China vs North Korea: Key features of democracy
China
0.072
in 2025
North Korea
0.083
in 2025
China rank
171st
North Korea rank
168th
Key features of democracy over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 0.083 against 0.072 in China, a difference of 0.011.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 203 shared years of data; in 1789 it was China ahead.
China ranks 171st and North Korea ranks 168th of 176 countries.
Across the 23 decades both report, China averaged higher in 18 and North Korea in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1790s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1800s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1810s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1820s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1830s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1840s | 0.036 | 0.015 | 0.021 | China |
| 1850s | 0.0332 | 0.015 | 0.0182 | China |
| 1860s | 0.0401 | 0.015 | 0.0251 | China |
| 1870s | 0.044 | 0.015 | 0.029 | China |
| 1880s | 0.044 | 0.0168 | 0.0272 | China |
| 1890s | 0.0471 | 0.0249 | 0.0222 | China |
| 1900s | 0.056 | 0.0214 | 0.0346 | China |
| 1910s | 0.058 | 0.013 | 0.045 | China |
| 1940s | 0.1202 | 0.034 | 0.0862 | China |
| 1950s | 0.0729 | 0.095 | 0.0221 | North Korea |
| 1960s | 0.0701 | 0.0896 | 0.0195 | North Korea |
| 1970s | 0.0721 | 0.0868 | 0.0147 | North Korea |
| 1980s | 0.0998 | 0.0857 | 0.0141 | China |
| 1990s | 0.0996 | 0.0844 | 0.0152 | China |
| 2000s | 0.0981 | 0.0842 | 0.0139 | China |
| 2010s | 0.0843 | 0.0852 | 0.0009 | North Korea |
| 2020s | 0.0743 | 0.0832 | 0.0088 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key features of democracy, China or North Korea?
- North Korea, at 0.083 against 0.072 in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key features of democracy between China and North Korea?
- 0.011, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 203 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for key features of democracy?
- China ranks 171st and North Korea ranks 168th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Key features of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.