Deliberative Democracy Index in China
China: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.064 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Deliberative Democracy Index in China, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, deliberative democracy index in China stood at 0.064.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 57.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in China peaked at 0.167 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 0.012, in 1969.
China ranks 154th of 175 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deliberative Democracy Index in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.017 | — |
| 1901 | 0.018 | +5.9% |
| 1902 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.02 | +11.1% |
| 1911 | 0.037 | +85.0% |
| 1912 | 0.088 | +137.8% |
| 1913 | 0.107 | +21.6% |
| 1914 | 0.103 | -3.7% |
| 1915 | 0.104 | +1.0% |
| 1916 | 0.103 | -1.0% |
| 1917 | 0.104 | +1.0% |
| 1918 | 0.103 | -1.0% |
| 1919 | 0.104 | +1.0% |
| 1920 | 0.102 | -1.9% |
| 1921 | 0.103 | +1.0% |
| 1922 | 0.101 | -1.9% |
| 1923 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.1 | -1.0% |
| 1928 | 0.103 | +3.0% |
| 1929 | 0.104 | +1.0% |
| 1930 | 0.103 | -1.0% |
| 1931 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.103 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.098 | -4.9% |
| 1939 | 0.097 | -1.0% |
| 1940 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.096 | -1.0% |
| 1942 | 0.097 | +1.0% |
| 1943 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.092 | -5.2% |
| 1946 | 0.09 | -2.2% |
| 1947 | 0.102 | +13.3% |
| 1948 | 0.105 | +2.9% |
| 1949 | 0.072 | -31.4% |
| 1950 | 0.064 | -11.1% |
| 1951 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.063 | -1.6% |
| 1956 | 0.049 | -22.2% |
| 1957 | 0.034 | -30.6% |
| 1958 | 0.022 | -35.3% |
| 1959 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.023 | +4.5% |
| 1961 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.025 | +8.7% |
| 1963 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.02 | -20.0% |
| 1967 | 0.013 | -35.0% |
| 1968 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.012 | -7.7% |
| 1970 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.012 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.025 | +108.3% |
| 1978 | 0.05 | +100.0% |
| 1979 | 0.085 | +70.0% |
| 1980 | 0.123 | +44.7% |
| 1981 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.127 | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.128 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 0.128 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.126 | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 0.116 | -7.9% |
| 1990 | 0.107 | -7.8% |
| 1991 | 0.105 | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 0.112 | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 0.125 | +11.6% |
| 1994 | 0.125 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.131 | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.142 | +8.4% |
| 2001 | 0.146 | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 0.155 | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 0.163 | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 0.167 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 0.157 | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 0.159 | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 0.165 | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 0.162 | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 0.161 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 0.16 | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.163 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.164 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 0.152 | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 0.152 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.149 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.149 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.138 | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 0.128 | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 0.118 | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 0.116 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 0.116 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.096 | -17.2% |
| 2023 | 0.101 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 0.065 | -35.6% |
| 2025 | 0.064 | -1.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.064 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3275, 20% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 0.064 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.358, 18% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deliberative Democracy Index in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | +137.8% | 0.037 | 0.088 |
| 1977 | +108.3% | 0.012 | 0.025 |
| 1978 | +100.0% | 0.025 | 0.05 |
| 1911 | +85.0% | 0.02 | 0.037 |
| 1979 | +70.0% | 0.05 | 0.085 |
| 1980 | +44.7% | 0.085 | 0.123 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0179 | 0.017 | 0.018 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0873 | 0.02 | 0.107 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1017 | 0.1 | 0.104 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1019 | 0.097 | 0.103 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0945 | 0.072 | 0.105 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.051 | 0.022 | 0.064 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0204 | 0.012 | 0.025 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0244 | 0.012 | 0.085 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1244 | 0.116 | 0.128 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1229 | 0.105 | 0.131 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1577 | 0.142 | 0.167 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1473 | 0.118 | 0.164 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.093 | 0.064 | 0.116 | 6 |
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 deliberative democracy index in China?
- Deliberative democracy index in China was 0.064 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.167 in 2004.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.012 in 1969.
- How does China rank for deliberative democracy index?
- China ranks 154th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deliberative Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which political elites justify their positions, justify them with the common good, acknowledge counterarguments, consult elites in policy changes, and society deliberates policy changes.