What is freedom of association index in China?

Freedom of association index in China was 0.03 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 0.454 in 1913.

What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 0.028 in 1957.

How does China rank for freedom of association index?

China ranks 169th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of association index rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. 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 Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Association Index in China

Name: Freedom of Association Index in China
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Freedom of Association Index was 0.03 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.03

Change on year

down 16.7%

World rank

169th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.454

in 1913

All-time low

0.028

in 1957

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Association Index in China, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of association index in China is 0.03, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 16.7% on the previous year and down 30.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of association index in China peaked at 0.454 in 1913 and was at its lowest, 0.028, in 1957.

China ranks 169th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Freedom of Association Index in China, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Association Index in China, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.114	—
1790	0.114	+0.0%
1791	0.114	+0.0%
1792	0.114	+0.0%
1793	0.114	+0.0%
1794	0.114	+0.0%
1795	0.114	+0.0%
1796	0.114	+0.0%
1797	0.114	+0.0%
1798	0.114	+0.0%
1799	0.114	+0.0%
1800	0.114	+0.0%
1801	0.114	+0.0%
1802	0.114	+0.0%
1803	0.114	+0.0%
1804	0.114	+0.0%
1805	0.114	+0.0%
1806	0.114	+0.0%
1807	0.114	+0.0%
1808	0.114	+0.0%
1809	0.114	+0.0%
1810	0.114	+0.0%
1811	0.114	+0.0%
1812	0.114	+0.0%
1813	0.114	+0.0%
1814	0.114	+0.0%
1815	0.114	+0.0%
1816	0.114	+0.0%
1817	0.114	+0.0%
1818	0.114	+0.0%
1819	0.114	+0.0%
1820	0.114	+0.0%
1821	0.114	+0.0%
1822	0.114	+0.0%
1823	0.114	+0.0%
1824	0.114	+0.0%
1825	0.114	+0.0%
1826	0.114	+0.0%
1827	0.114	+0.0%
1828	0.114	+0.0%
1829	0.114	+0.0%
1830	0.114	+0.0%
1831	0.114	+0.0%
1832	0.114	+0.0%
1833	0.114	+0.0%
1834	0.114	+0.0%
1835	0.114	+0.0%
1836	0.114	+0.0%
1837	0.114	+0.0%
1838	0.114	+0.0%
1839	0.114	+0.0%
1840	0.114	+0.0%
1841	0.114	+0.0%
1842	0.114	+0.0%
1843	0.114	+0.0%
1844	0.114	+0.0%
1845	0.114	+0.0%
1846	0.114	+0.0%
1847	0.114	+0.0%
1848	0.114	+0.0%
1849	0.114	+0.0%
1850	0.106	-7.0%
1851	0.093	-12.3%
1852	0.093	+0.0%
1853	0.093	+0.0%
1854	0.093	+0.0%
1855	0.093	+0.0%
1856	0.093	+0.0%
1857	0.093	+0.0%
1858	0.093	+0.0%
1859	0.093	+0.0%
1860	0.093	+0.0%
1861	0.093	+0.0%
1862	0.093	+0.0%
1863	0.097	+4.3%
1864	0.097	+0.0%
1865	0.119	+22.7%
1866	0.119	+0.0%
1867	0.119	+0.0%
1868	0.119	+0.0%
1869	0.119	+0.0%
1870	0.119	+0.0%
1871	0.119	+0.0%
1872	0.119	+0.0%
1873	0.119	+0.0%
1874	0.119	+0.0%
1875	0.119	+0.0%
1876	0.119	+0.0%
1877	0.119	+0.0%
1878	0.119	+0.0%
1879	0.119	+0.0%
1880	0.119	+0.0%
1881	0.119	+0.0%
1882	0.119	+0.0%
1883	0.119	+0.0%
1884	0.119	+0.0%
1885	0.119	+0.0%
1886	0.119	+0.0%
1887	0.119	+0.0%
1888	0.119	+0.0%
1889	0.119	+0.0%
1890	0.098	-17.6%
1891	0.098	+0.0%
1892	0.098	+0.0%
1893	0.098	+0.0%
1894	0.098	+0.0%
1895	0.098	+0.0%
1896	0.098	+0.0%
1897	0.098	+0.0%
1898	0.084	-14.3%
1899	0.084	+0.0%
1900	0.109	+29.8%
1901	0.109	+0.0%
1902	0.109	+0.0%
1903	0.109	+0.0%
1904	0.109	+0.0%
1905	0.113	+3.7%
1906	0.113	+0.0%
1907	0.113	+0.0%
1908	0.113	+0.0%
1909	0.113	+0.0%
1910	0.115	+1.8%
1911	0.117	+1.7%
1912	0.315	+169.2%
1913	0.454	+44.1%
1914	0.392	-13.7%
1915	0.381	-2.8%
1916	0.386	+1.3%
1917	0.386	+0.0%
1918	0.397	+2.8%
1919	0.402	+1.3%
1920	0.405	+0.7%
1921	0.39	-3.7%
1922	0.39	+0.0%
1923	0.39	+0.0%
1924	0.39	+0.0%
1925	0.39	+0.0%
1926	0.39	+0.0%
1927	0.306	-21.5%
1928	0.28	-8.5%
1929	0.273	-2.5%
1930	0.264	-3.3%
1931	0.264	+0.0%
1932	0.264	+0.0%
1933	0.264	+0.0%
1934	0.258	-2.3%
1935	0.258	+0.0%
1936	0.256	-0.8%
1937	0.256	+0.0%
1938	0.306	+19.5%
1939	0.301	-1.6%
1940	0.301	+0.0%
1941	0.301	+0.0%
1942	0.301	+0.0%
1943	0.301	+0.0%
1944	0.301	+0.0%
1945	0.301	+0.0%
1946	0.297	-1.3%
1947	0.302	+1.7%
1948	0.319	+5.6%
1949	0.17	-46.7%
1950	0.047	-72.4%
1951	0.043	-8.5%
1952	0.043	+0.0%
1953	0.043	+0.0%
1954	0.043	+0.0%
1955	0.043	+0.0%
1956	0.043	+0.0%
1957	0.028	-34.9%
1958	0.028	+0.0%
1959	0.028	+0.0%
1960	0.028	+0.0%
1961	0.028	+0.0%
1962	0.028	+0.0%
1963	0.028	+0.0%
1964	0.028	+0.0%
1965	0.028	+0.0%
1966	0.035	+25.0%
1967	0.044	+25.7%
1968	0.044	+0.0%
1969	0.039	-11.4%
1970	0.033	-15.4%
1971	0.033	+0.0%
1972	0.033	+0.0%
1973	0.038	+15.2%
1974	0.038	+0.0%
1975	0.038	+0.0%
1976	0.038	+0.0%
1977	0.028	-26.3%
1978	0.036	+28.6%
1979	0.056	+55.6%
1980	0.061	+8.9%
1981	0.064	+4.9%
1982	0.064	+0.0%
1983	0.064	+0.0%
1984	0.064	+0.0%
1985	0.064	+0.0%
1986	0.064	+0.0%
1987	0.065	+1.6%
1988	0.065	+0.0%
1989	0.07	+7.7%
1990	0.057	-18.6%
1991	0.06	+5.3%
1992	0.06	+0.0%
1993	0.06	+0.0%
1994	0.061	+1.7%
1995	0.061	+0.0%
1996	0.067	+9.8%
1997	0.067	+0.0%
1998	0.067	+0.0%
1999	0.067	+0.0%
2000	0.067	+0.0%
2001	0.067	+0.0%
2002	0.067	+0.0%
2003	0.067	+0.0%
2004	0.067	+0.0%
2005	0.063	-6.0%
2006	0.063	+0.0%
2007	0.063	+0.0%
2008	0.065	+3.2%
2009	0.065	+0.0%
2010	0.063	-3.1%
2011	0.063	+0.0%
2012	0.061	-3.2%
2013	0.048	-21.3%
2014	0.048	+0.0%
2015	0.043	-10.4%
2016	0.043	+0.0%
2017	0.046	+7.0%
2018	0.046	+0.0%
2019	0.043	-6.5%
2020	0.042	-2.3%
2021	0.049	+16.7%
2022	0.042	-14.3%
2023	0.038	-9.5%
2024	0.036	-5.3%
2025	0.03	-16.7%

China compared with similar countries

China's 0.03 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7185, 4% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
China's 0.03 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.708, 4% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.114	0.114	0.114	1
1790s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1800s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1810s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1820s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1830s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1840s	0.114	0.114	0.114	10
1850s	0.0943	0.093	0.106	10
1860s	0.1068	0.093	0.119	10
1870s	0.119	0.119	0.119	10
1880s	0.119	0.119	0.119	10
1890s	0.0952	0.084	0.098	10
1900s	0.111	0.109	0.113	10
1910s	0.3345	0.115	0.454	10
1920s	0.3604	0.273	0.405	10
1930s	0.2691	0.256	0.306	10
1940s	0.2894	0.17	0.319	10
1950s	0.0389	0.028	0.047	10
1960s	0.033	0.028	0.044	10
1970s	0.0371	0.028	0.056	10
1980s	0.0645	0.061	0.07	10
1990s	0.0627	0.057	0.067	10
2000s	0.0654	0.063	0.067	10
2010s	0.0504	0.043	0.063	10
2020s	0.0395	0.03	0.049	6

Countries ranked near China

166 Nicaragua 0.042 compare
167 United Arab Emirates 0.04 compare
168 Qatar 0.039 compare
170 Saudi Arabia 0.026 compare
171 North Korea 0.025 compare
172 Vietnam 0.024 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of association index in China?: Freedom of association index in China was 0.03 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 0.454 in 1913.
What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 0.028 in 1957.
How does China rank for freedom of association index?: China ranks 169th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of association index rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. 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 Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Association Index in China. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-association-index/china/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Association Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,011 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which parties, including opposition parties, are allowed to form and participate in elections and the extent to which civil society organizations are allowed to form and operate freely.