China vs Saudi Arabia: Private civil liberties index
China
0.145
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
0.171
in 2025
China rank
167th
Saudi Arabia rank
166th
Private civil liberties index over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 0.171 against 0.145 in China, a difference of 0.026.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was China ahead.
China ranks 167th and Saudi Arabia ranks 166th of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, China averaged higher in 21 and Saudi Arabia in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.114 | 0.099 | 0.015 | China |
| 1790s | 0.1108 | 0.099 | 0.0118 | China |
| 1800s | 0.106 | 0.099 | 0.007 | China |
| 1810s | 0.106 | 0.1026 | 0.0034 | China |
| 1820s | 0.106 | 0.055 | 0.051 | China |
| 1830s | 0.106 | 0.035 | 0.071 | China |
| 1840s | 0.106 | 0.035 | 0.071 | China |
| 1850s | 0.087 | 0.035 | 0.052 | China |
| 1860s | 0.0955 | 0.035 | 0.0605 | China |
| 1870s | 0.106 | 0.035 | 0.071 | China |
| 1880s | 0.106 | 0.035 | 0.071 | China |
| 1890s | 0.104 | 0.035 | 0.069 | China |
| 1900s | 0.1068 | 0.0378 | 0.069 | China |
| 1910s | 0.2105 | 0.039 | 0.1715 | China |
| 1920s | 0.2444 | 0.039 | 0.2054 | China |
| 1930s | 0.2442 | 0.0379 | 0.2063 | China |
| 1940s | 0.2281 | 0.038 | 0.1901 | China |
| 1950s | 0.0118 | 0.0415 | 0.0297 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1960s | 0.0055 | 0.065 | 0.0595 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 0.0139 | 0.0718 | 0.0579 | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 0.1275 | 0.0796 | 0.0479 | China |
| 1990s | 0.1482 | 0.0847 | 0.0635 | China |
| 2000s | 0.2054 | 0.0982 | 0.1072 | China |
| 2010s | 0.1814 | 0.1385 | 0.0429 | China |
| 2020s | 0.1252 | 0.1847 | 0.0595 | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher private civil liberties index, China or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 0.171 against 0.145 in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in private civil liberties index between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.026, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for private civil liberties index?
- China ranks 167th and Saudi Arabia ranks 166th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Private civil liberties index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.