How does China rank for human rights index vs. electoral democracy index?

China ranks 165th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index vs. electoral democracy index rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this China data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China

Name: Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index was 0.179 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.179

Change on year

up 2.3%

World rank

165th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.324

in 1913

All-time low

0.036

in 1969

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

China recorded 0.179 for human rights index vs. electoral democracy index in 2025.

That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and down 29.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index vs. electoral democracy index in China peaked at 0.324 in 1913 and was at its lowest, 0.036, in 1969.

That places China 165th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China, year by year

Annual values for Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.124	—
1790	0.124	+0.0%
1791	0.124	+0.0%
1792	0.124	+0.0%
1793	0.124	+0.0%
1794	0.124	+0.0%
1795	0.124	+0.0%
1796	0.121	-2.4%
1797	0.121	+0.0%
1798	0.121	+0.0%
1799	0.121	+0.0%
1800	0.121	+0.0%
1801	0.121	+0.0%
1802	0.121	+0.0%
1803	0.121	+0.0%
1804	0.121	+0.0%
1805	0.121	+0.0%
1806	0.121	+0.0%
1807	0.121	+0.0%
1808	0.121	+0.0%
1809	0.121	+0.0%
1810	0.121	+0.0%
1811	0.121	+0.0%
1812	0.121	+0.0%
1813	0.121	+0.0%
1814	0.121	+0.0%
1815	0.121	+0.0%
1816	0.121	+0.0%
1817	0.121	+0.0%
1818	0.121	+0.0%
1819	0.121	+0.0%
1820	0.121	+0.0%
1821	0.121	+0.0%
1822	0.121	+0.0%
1823	0.121	+0.0%
1824	0.121	+0.0%
1825	0.121	+0.0%
1826	0.121	+0.0%
1827	0.121	+0.0%
1828	0.121	+0.0%
1829	0.121	+0.0%
1830	0.121	+0.0%
1831	0.121	+0.0%
1832	0.121	+0.0%
1833	0.121	+0.0%
1834	0.121	+0.0%
1835	0.121	+0.0%
1836	0.121	+0.0%
1837	0.121	+0.0%
1838	0.121	+0.0%
1839	0.121	+0.0%
1840	0.121	+0.0%
1841	0.121	+0.0%
1842	0.121	+0.0%
1843	0.121	+0.0%
1844	0.121	+0.0%
1845	0.121	+0.0%
1846	0.121	+0.0%
1847	0.121	+0.0%
1848	0.121	+0.0%
1849	0.121	+0.0%
1850	0.115	-5.0%
1851	0.101	-12.2%
1852	0.101	+0.0%
1853	0.101	+0.0%
1854	0.101	+0.0%
1855	0.101	+0.0%
1856	0.101	+0.0%
1857	0.101	+0.0%
1858	0.101	+0.0%
1859	0.101	+0.0%
1860	0.101	+0.0%
1861	0.101	+0.0%
1862	0.101	+0.0%
1863	0.119	+17.8%
1864	0.119	+0.0%
1865	0.136	+14.3%
1866	0.136	+0.0%
1867	0.136	+0.0%
1868	0.136	+0.0%
1869	0.136	+0.0%
1870	0.136	+0.0%
1871	0.136	+0.0%
1872	0.136	+0.0%
1873	0.136	+0.0%
1874	0.136	+0.0%
1875	0.136	+0.0%
1876	0.136	+0.0%
1877	0.136	+0.0%
1878	0.136	+0.0%
1879	0.136	+0.0%
1880	0.136	+0.0%
1881	0.136	+0.0%
1882	0.136	+0.0%
1883	0.136	+0.0%
1884	0.136	+0.0%
1885	0.136	+0.0%
1886	0.136	+0.0%
1887	0.136	+0.0%
1888	0.136	+0.0%
1889	0.136	+0.0%
1890	0.126	-7.4%
1891	0.126	+0.0%
1892	0.126	+0.0%
1893	0.126	+0.0%
1894	0.126	+0.0%
1895	0.126	+0.0%
1896	0.126	+0.0%
1897	0.126	+0.0%
1898	0.112	-11.1%
1899	0.103	-8.0%
1900	0.127	+23.3%
1901	0.127	+0.0%
1902	0.129	+1.6%
1903	0.129	+0.0%
1904	0.134	+3.9%
1905	0.136	+1.5%
1906	0.145	+6.6%
1907	0.145	+0.0%
1908	0.145	+0.0%
1909	0.145	+0.0%
1910	0.144	-0.7%
1911	0.142	-1.4%
1912	0.24	+69.0%
1913	0.324	+35.0%
1914	0.318	-1.9%
1915	0.315	-0.9%
1916	0.319	+1.3%
1917	0.321	+0.6%
1918	0.321	+0.0%
1919	0.321	+0.0%
1920	0.317	-1.2%
1921	0.319	+0.6%
1922	0.319	+0.0%
1923	0.319	+0.0%
1924	0.319	+0.0%
1925	0.319	+0.0%
1926	0.322	+0.9%
1927	0.272	-15.5%
1928	0.259	-4.8%
1929	0.26	+0.4%
1930	0.256	-1.5%
1931	0.256	+0.0%
1932	0.256	+0.0%
1933	0.256	+0.0%
1934	0.256	+0.0%
1935	0.256	+0.0%
1936	0.256	+0.0%
1937	0.256	+0.0%
1938	0.27	+5.5%
1939	0.266	-1.5%
1940	0.266	+0.0%
1941	0.266	+0.0%
1942	0.266	+0.0%
1943	0.266	+0.0%
1944	0.266	+0.0%
1945	0.269	+1.1%
1946	0.255	-5.2%
1947	0.254	-0.4%
1948	0.254	+0.0%
1949	0.142	-44.1%
1950	0.083	-41.5%
1951	0.081	-2.4%
1952	0.081	+0.0%
1953	0.081	+0.0%
1954	0.081	+0.0%
1955	0.087	+7.4%
1956	0.077	-11.5%
1957	0.062	-19.5%
1958	0.061	-1.6%
1959	0.061	+0.0%
1960	0.069	+13.1%
1961	0.07	+1.4%
1962	0.07	+0.0%
1963	0.07	+0.0%
1964	0.07	+0.0%
1965	0.07	+0.0%
1966	0.04	-42.9%
1967	0.04	+0.0%
1968	0.04	+0.0%
1969	0.036	-10.0%
1970	0.04	+11.1%
1971	0.04	+0.0%
1972	0.045	+12.5%
1973	0.047	+4.4%
1974	0.047	+0.0%
1975	0.047	+0.0%
1976	0.047	+0.0%
1977	0.064	+36.2%
1978	0.119	+85.9%
1979	0.228	+91.6%
1980	0.252	+10.5%
1981	0.256	+1.6%
1982	0.256	+0.0%
1983	0.256	+0.0%
1984	0.256	+0.0%
1985	0.256	+0.0%
1986	0.26	+1.6%
1987	0.267	+2.7%
1988	0.267	+0.0%
1989	0.232	-13.1%
1990	0.223	-3.9%
1991	0.223	+0.0%
1992	0.241	+8.1%
1993	0.246	+2.1%
1994	0.248	+0.8%
1995	0.256	+3.2%
1996	0.262	+2.3%
1997	0.262	+0.0%
1998	0.262	+0.0%
1999	0.263	+0.4%
2000	0.272	+3.4%
2001	0.274	+0.7%
2002	0.278	+1.5%
2003	0.294	+5.8%
2004	0.293	-0.3%
2005	0.289	-1.4%
2006	0.289	+0.0%
2007	0.289	+0.0%
2008	0.289	+0.0%
2009	0.285	-1.4%
2010	0.283	-0.7%
2011	0.275	-2.8%
2012	0.282	+2.5%
2013	0.258	-8.5%
2014	0.241	-6.6%
2015	0.255	+5.8%
2016	0.248	-2.7%
2017	0.241	-2.8%
2018	0.217	-10.0%
2019	0.209	-3.7%
2020	0.191	-8.6%
2021	0.188	-1.6%
2022	0.172	-8.5%
2023	0.169	-1.7%
2024	0.175	+3.6%
2025	0.179	+2.3%

China compared with similar countries

China's 0.179 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7345, 24% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
China's 0.179 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.728, 25% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.124	0.124	0.124	1
1790s	0.1228	0.121	0.124	10
1800s	0.121	0.121	0.121	10
1810s	0.121	0.121	0.121	10
1820s	0.121	0.121	0.121	10
1830s	0.121	0.121	0.121	10
1840s	0.121	0.121	0.121	10
1850s	0.1024	0.101	0.115	10
1860s	0.1221	0.101	0.136	10
1870s	0.136	0.136	0.136	10
1880s	0.136	0.136	0.136	10
1890s	0.1223	0.103	0.126	10
1900s	0.1362	0.127	0.145	10
1910s	0.2765	0.142	0.324	10
1920s	0.3025	0.259	0.322	10
1930s	0.2584	0.256	0.27	10
1940s	0.2504	0.142	0.269	10
1950s	0.0755	0.061	0.087	10
1960s	0.0575	0.036	0.07	10
1970s	0.0724	0.04	0.228	10
1980s	0.2558	0.232	0.267	10
1990s	0.2486	0.223	0.263	10
2000s	0.2852	0.272	0.294	10
2010s	0.2509	0.209	0.283	10
2020s	0.179	0.169	0.191	6

Countries ranked near China

162 Eswatini 0.206 compare
163 Rwanda 0.194 compare
164 Yemen 0.192 compare
166 Saudi Arabia 0.178 compare
167 Sudan 0.171 compare
168 Equatorial Guinea 0.169 compare
168 Tajikistan 0.169 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 human rights index vs. electoral democracy index in China?: Human rights index vs. electoral democracy index in China was 0.179 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index vs. electoral democracy index recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 0.324 in 1913.
What is the lowest human rights index vs. electoral democracy index recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 0.036 in 1969.
How does China rank for human rights index vs. electoral democracy index?: China ranks 165th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index vs. electoral democracy index rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index in China. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/human-rights-index-vs-electoral-democracy-index/china/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.