Freedom of Expression Score in China
China: Freedom of Expression Score was 1 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Expression Score in China, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
China recorded 1 for freedom of expression score in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression score in China peaked at 2 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1, in 2021.
That places China 116th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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)
- Liberal democracy 0 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.039 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.179 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.036 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.179 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression score in China?
- Freedom of expression score in China was 1 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression score recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 2005.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression score recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 2021.
- How does China rank for freedom of expression score?
- China ranks 116th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression 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 Freedom of Expression Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.