Distribution of Democracy Index in China
China: Distribution of Democracy Index was 3 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Distribution of Democracy Index in China, 1800–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for distribution of democracy index in China is 3, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in China peaked at 12 in 1912 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1966.
That places China 149th out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it 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 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1810s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1820s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1830s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1840s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1850s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1860s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 1870s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1880s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1890s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1900s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.2 | 4 | 12 | 10 |
| 1920s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 1930s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| 1940s | 4.25 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 1950s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.7 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.4 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
Countries ranked near China
More social development data for China
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- 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)
- Key features 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)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.036 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.039 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of democracy index in China?
- Distribution of democracy index in China was 3 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 12 in 1912.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1966.
- How does China rank for distribution of democracy index?
- China ranks 149th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution 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 0 to 20 (fully democratic).