Which has higher liberal democracy index, Belarus or China?

China, at 0.039 against 0.038 in Belarus as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Belarus and China?

231 years are reported by both, from 1795 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Belarus vs China: Liberal Democracy Index

Belarus

0.038

in 2025

China

0.039

in 2025

Belarus rank

168th

China rank

167th

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Belarus
China

How they compare

China currently reports 0.039 against 0.038 in Belarus, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 231 shared years of data; in 1795 it was Belarus ahead.

Belarus ranks 168th and China ranks 167th of 176 countries.

Across the 24 decades both report, Belarus averaged higher in 16 and China in 8.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Belarus	China	Difference	Ahead
1790s	0.014	0.013	0.001	Belarus
1800s	0.0149	0.013	0.0019	Belarus
1810s	0.015	0.013	0.002	Belarus
1820s	0.0142	0.013	0.0012	Belarus
1830s	0.0147	0.013	0.0017	Belarus
1840s	0.0152	0.013	0.0022	Belarus
1850s	0.0215	0.0121	0.0094	Belarus
1860s	0.0637	0.0132	0.0505	Belarus
1870s	0.0866	0.014	0.0726	Belarus
1880s	0.0411	0.014	0.0271	Belarus
1890s	0.0433	0.0137	0.0296	Belarus
1900s	0.0499	0.0237	0.0262	Belarus
1910s	0.0618	0.0553	0.0065	Belarus
1920s	0.019	0.0555	0.0365	China
1930s	0.016	0.0507	0.0347	China
1940s	0.0144	0.0563	0.0419	China
1950s	0.0196	0.0348	0.0152	China
1960s	0.0232	0.0365	0.0133	China
1970s	0.0247	0.0392	0.0145	China
1980s	0.0352	0.0668	0.0316	China
1990s	0.2953	0.0673	0.228	Belarus
2000s	0.0981	0.0646	0.0335	Belarus
2010s	0.1013	0.0525	0.0488	Belarus
2020s	0.0375	0.0402	0.0027	China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Belarus or China?: China, at 0.039 against 0.038 in Belarus as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Belarus and China?: 0.001, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belarus and China?: 231 years are reported by both, from 1795 to 2025.
How do Belarus and China rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Belarus ranks 168th and China ranks 167th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.