What is political civil liberties index in China?

Political civil liberties index in China was 0.036 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest political civil liberties index recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 0.48 in 1913.

What is the lowest political civil liberties index recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 0.02 in 1970.

How does China rank for political civil liberties index?

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

Is political civil liberties index rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 60.4%. 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 Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Political Civil Liberties Index in China

Name: Political Civil Liberties Index in China
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Political Civil Liberties Index was 0.036 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.036

Change on year

up 2.9%

World rank

171st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.48

in 1913

All-time low

0.02

in 1970

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Political Civil Liberties Index in China, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for political civil liberties index in China is 0.036, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and down 60.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political civil liberties index in China peaked at 0.48 in 1913 and was at its lowest, 0.02, in 1970.

That places China 171st out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Political Civil Liberties Index in China, year by year

Annual values for Political Civil Liberties Index in China, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.208	—
1790	0.208	+0.0%
1791	0.208	+0.0%
1792	0.208	+0.0%
1793	0.208	+0.0%
1794	0.208	+0.0%
1795	0.208	+0.0%
1796	0.208	+0.0%
1797	0.208	+0.0%
1798	0.208	+0.0%
1799	0.208	+0.0%
1800	0.208	+0.0%
1801	0.208	+0.0%
1802	0.208	+0.0%
1803	0.208	+0.0%
1804	0.208	+0.0%
1805	0.208	+0.0%
1806	0.208	+0.0%
1807	0.208	+0.0%
1808	0.208	+0.0%
1809	0.208	+0.0%
1810	0.208	+0.0%
1811	0.208	+0.0%
1812	0.208	+0.0%
1813	0.208	+0.0%
1814	0.208	+0.0%
1815	0.208	+0.0%
1816	0.208	+0.0%
1817	0.208	+0.0%
1818	0.208	+0.0%
1819	0.208	+0.0%
1820	0.208	+0.0%
1821	0.208	+0.0%
1822	0.208	+0.0%
1823	0.208	+0.0%
1824	0.208	+0.0%
1825	0.208	+0.0%
1826	0.208	+0.0%
1827	0.208	+0.0%
1828	0.208	+0.0%
1829	0.208	+0.0%
1830	0.208	+0.0%
1831	0.208	+0.0%
1832	0.208	+0.0%
1833	0.208	+0.0%
1834	0.208	+0.0%
1835	0.208	+0.0%
1836	0.208	+0.0%
1837	0.208	+0.0%
1838	0.208	+0.0%
1839	0.208	+0.0%
1840	0.208	+0.0%
1841	0.208	+0.0%
1842	0.208	+0.0%
1843	0.208	+0.0%
1844	0.208	+0.0%
1845	0.208	+0.0%
1846	0.208	+0.0%
1847	0.208	+0.0%
1848	0.208	+0.0%
1849	0.208	+0.0%
1850	0.196	-5.8%
1851	0.172	-12.2%
1852	0.172	+0.0%
1853	0.172	+0.0%
1854	0.172	+0.0%
1855	0.172	+0.0%
1856	0.172	+0.0%
1857	0.172	+0.0%
1858	0.172	+0.0%
1859	0.172	+0.0%
1860	0.172	+0.0%
1861	0.172	+0.0%
1862	0.172	+0.0%
1863	0.228	+32.6%
1864	0.228	+0.0%
1865	0.258	+13.2%
1866	0.258	+0.0%
1867	0.258	+0.0%
1868	0.258	+0.0%
1869	0.258	+0.0%
1870	0.258	+0.0%
1871	0.258	+0.0%
1872	0.258	+0.0%
1873	0.258	+0.0%
1874	0.258	+0.0%
1875	0.258	+0.0%
1876	0.258	+0.0%
1877	0.258	+0.0%
1878	0.258	+0.0%
1879	0.258	+0.0%
1880	0.258	+0.0%
1881	0.258	+0.0%
1882	0.258	+0.0%
1883	0.258	+0.0%
1884	0.258	+0.0%
1885	0.258	+0.0%
1886	0.258	+0.0%
1887	0.258	+0.0%
1888	0.258	+0.0%
1889	0.258	+0.0%
1890	0.231	-10.5%
1891	0.231	+0.0%
1892	0.231	+0.0%
1893	0.231	+0.0%
1894	0.231	+0.0%
1895	0.231	+0.0%
1896	0.231	+0.0%
1897	0.231	+0.0%
1898	0.193	-16.5%
1899	0.166	-14.0%
1900	0.233	+40.4%
1901	0.233	+0.0%
1902	0.242	+3.9%
1903	0.242	+0.0%
1904	0.242	+0.0%
1905	0.242	+0.0%
1906	0.247	+2.1%
1907	0.247	+0.0%
1908	0.247	+0.0%
1909	0.247	+0.0%
1910	0.248	+0.4%
1911	0.247	-0.4%
1912	0.421	+70.4%
1913	0.48	+14.0%
1914	0.464	-3.3%
1915	0.458	-1.3%
1916	0.471	+2.8%
1917	0.47	-0.2%
1918	0.47	+0.0%
1919	0.47	+0.0%
1920	0.465	-1.1%
1921	0.468	+0.6%
1922	0.468	+0.0%
1923	0.468	+0.0%
1924	0.468	+0.0%
1925	0.468	+0.0%
1926	0.468	+0.0%
1927	0.431	-7.9%
1928	0.39	-9.5%
1929	0.375	-3.8%
1930	0.364	-2.9%
1931	0.364	+0.0%
1932	0.364	+0.0%
1933	0.364	+0.0%
1934	0.361	-0.8%
1935	0.361	+0.0%
1936	0.359	-0.6%
1937	0.359	+0.0%
1938	0.39	+8.6%
1939	0.378	-3.1%
1940	0.378	+0.0%
1941	0.378	+0.0%
1942	0.378	+0.0%
1943	0.378	+0.0%
1944	0.378	+0.0%
1945	0.378	+0.0%
1946	0.356	-5.8%
1947	0.352	-1.1%
1948	0.352	+0.0%
1949	0.198	-43.7%
1950	0.069	-65.2%
1951	0.064	-7.2%
1952	0.064	+0.0%
1953	0.064	+0.0%
1954	0.064	+0.0%
1955	0.064	+0.0%
1956	0.059	-7.8%
1957	0.029	-50.8%
1958	0.029	+0.0%
1959	0.029	+0.0%
1960	0.029	+0.0%
1961	0.032	+10.3%
1962	0.032	+0.0%
1963	0.032	+0.0%
1964	0.032	+0.0%
1965	0.03	-6.3%
1966	0.031	+3.3%
1967	0.033	+6.5%
1968	0.033	+0.0%
1969	0.023	-30.3%
1970	0.02	-13.0%
1971	0.02	+0.0%
1972	0.021	+5.0%
1973	0.027	+28.6%
1974	0.027	+0.0%
1975	0.027	+0.0%
1976	0.027	+0.0%
1977	0.024	-11.1%
1978	0.064	+166.7%
1979	0.156	+143.8%
1980	0.184	+17.9%
1981	0.19	+3.3%
1982	0.19	+0.0%
1983	0.19	+0.0%
1984	0.19	+0.0%
1985	0.19	+0.0%
1986	0.2	+5.3%
1987	0.219	+9.5%
1988	0.219	+0.0%
1989	0.189	-13.7%
1990	0.141	-25.4%
1991	0.145	+2.8%
1992	0.161	+11.0%
1993	0.174	+8.1%
1994	0.176	+1.1%
1995	0.177	+0.6%
1996	0.183	+3.4%
1997	0.183	+0.0%
1998	0.183	+0.0%
1999	0.183	+0.0%
2000	0.183	+0.0%
2001	0.183	+0.0%
2002	0.193	+5.5%
2003	0.197	+2.1%
2004	0.201	+2.0%
2005	0.171	-14.9%
2006	0.171	+0.0%
2007	0.172	+0.6%
2008	0.166	-3.5%
2009	0.169	+1.8%
2010	0.17	+0.6%
2011	0.166	-2.4%
2012	0.166	+0.0%
2013	0.122	-26.5%
2014	0.112	-8.2%
2015	0.091	-18.8%
2016	0.08	-12.1%
2017	0.076	-5.0%
2018	0.064	-15.8%
2019	0.05	-21.9%
2020	0.058	+16.0%
2021	0.059	+1.7%
2022	0.046	-22.0%
2023	0.039	-15.2%
2024	0.035	-10.3%
2025	0.036	+2.9%

China compared with similar countries

China's 0.036 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.709, 5% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
China's 0.036 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.666, 5% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.208	0.208	0.208	1
1790s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1800s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1810s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1820s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1830s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1840s	0.208	0.208	0.208	10
1850s	0.1744	0.172	0.196	10
1860s	0.2262	0.172	0.258	10
1870s	0.258	0.258	0.258	10
1880s	0.258	0.258	0.258	10
1890s	0.2207	0.166	0.231	10
1900s	0.2422	0.233	0.247	10
1910s	0.4199	0.247	0.48	10
1920s	0.4469	0.375	0.468	10
1930s	0.3664	0.359	0.39	10
1940s	0.3526	0.198	0.378	10
1950s	0.0535	0.029	0.069	10
1960s	0.0307	0.023	0.033	10
1970s	0.0413	0.02	0.156	10
1980s	0.1961	0.184	0.219	10
1990s	0.1706	0.141	0.183	10
2000s	0.1806	0.166	0.201	10
2010s	0.1097	0.05	0.17	10
2020s	0.0455	0.035	0.059	6

Countries ranked near China

168 Turkmenistan 0.054 compare
169 Laos 0.053 compare
170 Cuba 0.037 compare
171 Belarus 0.036 compare
173 Eritrea 0.024 compare
174 Afghanistan 0.021 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for China

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is political civil liberties index in China?: Political civil liberties index in China was 0.036 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political civil liberties index recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 0.48 in 1913.
What is the lowest political civil liberties index recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 0.02 in 1970.
How does China rank for political civil liberties index?: China ranks 171st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is political civil liberties index rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 60.4%. 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 Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Political Civil Liberties Index in China. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/political-civil-liberties-index/china/

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About this data

Indicator: Political Civil Liberties Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,211 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people enjoy the freedoms of expression and association.