Civil Rights Score in China
China: Civil Rights Score was 1 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Civil Rights Score in China, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for civil rights score in China is 1, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil rights score in China peaked at 3 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1, in 2023.
That places China 117th out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Civil Rights Score in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3 | — |
| 2007 | 2 | -33.3% |
| 2009 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 | -50.0% |
| 2025 | 1 | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5, 20% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- China's 1 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5, 29% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.33 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.33 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More social development data for China
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 230 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 153,962 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 153,962 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil rights score in China?
- Civil rights score in China was 1 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil rights score recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3 in 2005.
- What is the lowest civil rights score recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2023.
- How does China rank for civil rights score?
- China ranks 117th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil rights score rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil Rights Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Indicates the extent to which civil rights are codified in law, and the state prosecutes any violations and works to prevent discrimination.