What is key features of democracy in China?

Key features of democracy in China was 0.072 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 0.159 in 1948.

What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 0.033 in 1851.

How does China rank for key features of democracy?

China ranks 171st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is key features of democracy rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. 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 Key features of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Key features of democracy in China

Name: Key features of democracy in China
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Key features of democracy was 0.072 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.072

Change on year

down 1.4%

World rank

171st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.159

in 1948

All-time low

0.033

in 1851

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Key features of democracy in China, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, key features of democracy in China stood at 0.072.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key features of democracy in China peaked at 0.159 in 1948 and was at its lowest, 0.033, in 1851.

That places China 171st 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.

Key features of democracy in China, year by year

Annual values for Key features of democracy in China, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.036	—
1790	0.036	+0.0%
1791	0.036	+0.0%
1792	0.036	+0.0%
1793	0.036	+0.0%
1794	0.036	+0.0%
1795	0.036	+0.0%
1796	0.036	+0.0%
1797	0.036	+0.0%
1798	0.036	+0.0%
1799	0.036	+0.0%
1800	0.036	+0.0%
1801	0.036	+0.0%
1802	0.036	+0.0%
1803	0.036	+0.0%
1804	0.036	+0.0%
1805	0.036	+0.0%
1806	0.036	+0.0%
1807	0.036	+0.0%
1808	0.036	+0.0%
1809	0.036	+0.0%
1810	0.036	+0.0%
1811	0.036	+0.0%
1812	0.036	+0.0%
1813	0.036	+0.0%
1814	0.036	+0.0%
1815	0.036	+0.0%
1816	0.036	+0.0%
1817	0.036	+0.0%
1818	0.036	+0.0%
1819	0.036	+0.0%
1820	0.036	+0.0%
1821	0.036	+0.0%
1822	0.036	+0.0%
1823	0.036	+0.0%
1824	0.036	+0.0%
1825	0.036	+0.0%
1826	0.036	+0.0%
1827	0.036	+0.0%
1828	0.036	+0.0%
1829	0.036	+0.0%
1830	0.036	+0.0%
1831	0.036	+0.0%
1832	0.036	+0.0%
1833	0.036	+0.0%
1834	0.036	+0.0%
1835	0.036	+0.0%
1836	0.036	+0.0%
1837	0.036	+0.0%
1838	0.036	+0.0%
1839	0.036	+0.0%
1840	0.036	+0.0%
1841	0.036	+0.0%
1842	0.036	+0.0%
1843	0.036	+0.0%
1844	0.036	+0.0%
1845	0.036	+0.0%
1846	0.036	+0.0%
1847	0.036	+0.0%
1848	0.036	+0.0%
1849	0.036	+0.0%
1850	0.035	-2.8%
1851	0.033	-5.7%
1852	0.033	+0.0%
1853	0.033	+0.0%
1854	0.033	+0.0%
1855	0.033	+0.0%
1856	0.033	+0.0%
1857	0.033	+0.0%
1858	0.033	+0.0%
1859	0.033	+0.0%
1860	0.033	+0.0%
1861	0.033	+0.0%
1862	0.033	+0.0%
1863	0.041	+24.2%
1864	0.041	+0.0%
1865	0.044	+7.3%
1866	0.044	+0.0%
1867	0.044	+0.0%
1868	0.044	+0.0%
1869	0.044	+0.0%
1870	0.044	+0.0%
1871	0.044	+0.0%
1872	0.044	+0.0%
1873	0.044	+0.0%
1874	0.044	+0.0%
1875	0.044	+0.0%
1876	0.044	+0.0%
1877	0.044	+0.0%
1878	0.044	+0.0%
1879	0.044	+0.0%
1880	0.044	+0.0%
1881	0.044	+0.0%
1882	0.044	+0.0%
1883	0.044	+0.0%
1884	0.044	+0.0%
1885	0.044	+0.0%
1886	0.044	+0.0%
1887	0.044	+0.0%
1888	0.044	+0.0%
1889	0.044	+0.0%
1890	0.042	-4.5%
1891	0.042	+0.0%
1892	0.042	+0.0%
1893	0.042	+0.0%
1894	0.042	+0.0%
1895	0.046	+9.5%
1896	0.057	+23.9%
1897	0.057	+0.0%
1898	0.053	-7.0%
1899	0.048	-9.4%
1900	0.055	+14.6%
1901	0.055	+0.0%
1902	0.055	+0.0%
1903	0.055	+0.0%
1904	0.055	+0.0%
1905	0.057	+3.6%
1906	0.057	+0.0%
1907	0.057	+0.0%
1908	0.057	+0.0%
1909	0.057	+0.0%
1910	0.058	+1.8%
1911	0.058	+0.0%
1912	0.102	+75.9%
1913	0.126	+23.5%
1914	0.109	-13.5%
1915	0.108	-0.9%
1916	0.11	+1.9%
1917	0.111	+0.9%
1918	0.12	+8.1%
1919	0.125	+4.2%
1920	0.12	-4.0%
1921	0.121	+0.8%
1922	0.109	-9.9%
1923	0.109	+0.0%
1924	0.109	+0.0%
1925	0.109	+0.0%
1926	0.109	+0.0%
1927	0.098	-10.1%
1928	0.092	-6.1%
1929	0.09	-2.2%
1930	0.089	-1.1%
1931	0.089	+0.0%
1932	0.089	+0.0%
1933	0.089	+0.0%
1934	0.087	-2.2%
1935	0.087	+0.0%
1936	0.087	+0.0%
1937	0.087	+0.0%
1938	0.093	+6.9%
1939	0.091	-2.2%
1940	0.091	+0.0%
1941	0.091	+0.0%
1942	0.091	+0.0%
1943	0.091	+0.0%
1944	0.091	+0.0%
1945	0.091	+0.0%
1946	0.087	-4.4%
1947	0.143	+64.4%
1948	0.159	+11.2%
1949	0.121	-23.9%
1950	0.075	-38.0%
1951	0.075	+0.0%
1952	0.075	+0.0%
1953	0.075	+0.0%
1954	0.074	-1.3%
1955	0.074	+0.0%
1956	0.074	+0.0%
1957	0.069	-6.8%
1958	0.069	+0.0%
1959	0.069	+0.0%
1960	0.069	+0.0%
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	0.071	+1.4%
1967	0.071	+0.0%
1968	0.071	+0.0%
1969	0.069	-2.8%
1970	0.068	-1.4%
1971	0.068	+0.0%
1972	0.068	+0.0%
1973	0.07	+2.9%
1974	0.07	+0.0%
1975	0.07	+0.0%
1976	0.07	+0.0%
1977	0.069	-1.4%
1978	0.076	+10.1%
1979	0.092	+21.1%
1980	0.098	+6.5%
1981	0.098	+0.0%
1982	0.098	+0.0%
1983	0.098	+0.0%
1984	0.098	+0.0%
1985	0.098	+0.0%
1986	0.102	+4.1%
1987	0.104	+2.0%
1988	0.104	+0.0%
1989	0.1	-3.8%
1990	0.093	-7.0%
1991	0.094	+1.1%
1992	0.096	+2.1%
1993	0.101	+5.2%
1994	0.102	+1.0%
1995	0.102	+0.0%
1996	0.102	+0.0%
1997	0.102	+0.0%
1998	0.102	+0.0%
1999	0.102	+0.0%
2000	0.1	-2.0%
2001	0.102	+2.0%
2002	0.102	+0.0%
2003	0.103	+1.0%
2004	0.102	-1.0%
2005	0.094	-7.8%
2006	0.094	+0.0%
2007	0.095	+1.1%
2008	0.095	+0.0%
2009	0.094	-1.1%
2010	0.094	+0.0%
2011	0.094	+0.0%
2012	0.094	+0.0%
2013	0.086	-8.5%
2014	0.084	-2.3%
2015	0.082	-2.4%
2016	0.08	-2.4%
2017	0.078	-2.5%
2018	0.076	-2.6%
2019	0.075	-1.3%
2020	0.075	+0.0%
2021	0.077	+2.7%
2022	0.075	-2.6%
2023	0.074	-1.3%
2024	0.073	-1.4%
2025	0.072	-1.4%

China compared with similar countries

China's 0.072 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.491, 15% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
China's 0.072 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4645, 16% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.036	0.036	0.036	1
1790s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1800s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1810s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1820s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1830s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1840s	0.036	0.036	0.036	10
1850s	0.0332	0.033	0.035	10
1860s	0.0401	0.033	0.044	10
1870s	0.044	0.044	0.044	10
1880s	0.044	0.044	0.044	10
1890s	0.0471	0.042	0.057	10
1900s	0.056	0.055	0.057	10
1910s	0.1027	0.058	0.126	10
1920s	0.1066	0.09	0.121	10
1930s	0.0888	0.087	0.093	10
1940s	0.1056	0.087	0.159	10
1950s	0.0729	0.069	0.075	10
1960s	0.0701	0.069	0.071	10
1970s	0.0721	0.068	0.092	10
1980s	0.0998	0.098	0.104	10
1990s	0.0996	0.093	0.102	10
2000s	0.0981	0.094	0.103	10
2010s	0.0843	0.075	0.094	10
2020s	0.0743	0.072	0.077	6

Countries ranked near China

168 North Korea 0.083 compare
169 Myanmar 0.08 compare
169 Palestine 0.08 compare
172 Afghanistan 0.069 compare
172 Eritrea 0.069 compare
174 Qatar 0.034 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 key features of democracy in China?: Key features of democracy in China was 0.072 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 0.159 in 1948.
What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 0.033 in 1851.
How does China rank for key features of democracy?: China ranks 171st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is key features of democracy rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. 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 Key features of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Key features of democracy in China. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/key-features-of-democracy/china/

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About this data

Indicator: Key features of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.