Democracy Index in China
China: Democracy Index was -7 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Democracy Index in China, 1800–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy index in China is -7, measured in 2018.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in China peaked at 2 in 1912 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1966.
China ranks 149th of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 208 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1810s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1820s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1830s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1840s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1850s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1860s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 8 |
| 1870s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1880s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1890s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1900s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1910s | -3.8 | -6 | 2 | 10 |
| 1920s | -5 | -5 | -5 | 10 |
| 1930s | -5 | -5 | -5 | 7 |
| 1940s | -5.75 | -8 | -5 | 4 |
| 1950s | -8 | -8 | -8 | 10 |
| 1960s | -8.3 | -9 | -8 | 10 |
| 1970s | -7.6 | -8 | -7 | 10 |
| 1980s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1990s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 2000s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 2010s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near China
More social development data for China
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 230 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 153,962 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.039 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.072 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.045 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.03 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.072 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in China?
- Democracy index in China was -7 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1912.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1966.
- How does China rank for democracy index?
- China ranks 149th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 208 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).