China vs North Korea: Political Rights Rating
China
7
in 2025
North Korea
7
in 2025
China rank
1st
North Korea rank
1st
Political Rights Rating over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 7 against 7 in North Korea, a difference of 0.
Across all 53 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and North Korea ranks 1st of 199 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.62 | 7 | 0.375 | North Korea |
| 1980s | 6.11 | 7 | 0.8889 | North Korea |
| 1990s | 7 | 7 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 7 | 7 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 7 | 7 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 7 | 7 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher political rights rating, China or North Korea?
- China, at 7 against 7 in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in political rights rating between China and North Korea?
- 0, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2025.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for political rights rating?
- China ranks 1st and North Korea ranks 1st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Political Rights Rating. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Identifies the extent of free and fair elections, political pluralism and participation, and a functioning government. Lower ratings indicate more rights.