China vs Russia: Key media freedoms
China
-2.42
in 2025
Russia
-2.22
in 2025
China rank
168th
Russia rank
165th
Key media freedoms over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports -2.22 against -2.42 in China, a difference of 0.2.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Russia ahead.
China ranks 168th and Russia ranks 165th of 175 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and Russia in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -1.02 | -0.912 | 0.112 | Russia |
| 1910s | -0.7203 | -1.31 | 0.5865 | China |
| 1920s | -0.6414 | -2.55 | 1.91 | China |
| 1930s | -0.698 | -2.55 | 1.85 | China |
| 1940s | -0.7639 | -2.55 | 1.79 | China |
| 1950s | -3 | -2.55 | 0.445 | Russia |
| 1960s | -3.01 | -2.55 | 0.4629 | Russia |
| 1970s | -2.71 | -2.55 | 0.1621 | Russia |
| 1980s | -0.7029 | -2.19 | 1.49 | China |
| 1990s | -0.8198 | 0.331 | 1.15 | Russia |
| 2000s | -0.8695 | -0.448 | 0.4215 | Russia |
| 2010s | -1.59 | -1.14 | 0.4516 | Russia |
| 2020s | -2.16 | -2.1 | 0.0547 | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key media freedoms, China or Russia?
- Russia, at -2.22 against -2.42 in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key media freedoms between China and Russia?
- 0.2, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for key media freedoms?
- China ranks 168th and Russia ranks 165th of 175 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Key media freedoms. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which the government directly or indirectly attempts to censor political content in print and broadcast media, through formal restrictions or indirect pressures such as financial control, licensing, or access to distribution channels.