Political Polarization Score in China

China: Political Polarization Score was -0.11 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
-0.11
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
98th
of 174 countries
All-time high
2.6
in 1966
All-time low
-1.07
in 2005
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Political Polarization Score in China, 1900–2025

-10123190019622025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for political polarization score in China is -0.11, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 87.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political polarization score in China peaked at 2.6 in 1966 and was at its lowest, -1.07, in 2005.

That places China 98th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 1.07 1.07 1.07 10
1910s 1.98 1.7 2.6 10
1920s 1.85 1.56 2.25 10
1930s 1.97 0.577 2.5 10
1940s 1.95 1.55 2.52 10
1950s 0.483 0.132 0.71 10
1960s 1.46 0.333 2.6 10
1970s 1.46 -0.663 2.21 10
1980s -0.8189 -0.969 0.532 10
1990s -0.7207 -0.911 -0.24 10
2000s -0.9254 -1.07 -0.664 10
2010s -0.8227 -0.953 -0.656 10
2020s -0.4522 -0.999 -0.11 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 95 Netherlands -0.091 compare
  2. 96 Spain -0.092 compare
  3. 97 Tanzania -0.095 compare
  4. 99 South Africa -0.126 compare
  5. 100 Czechia -0.131 compare
  6. 101 Senegal -0.143 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is political polarization score in China?
Political polarization score in China was -0.11 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political polarization score recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 2.6 in 1966.
What is the lowest political polarization score recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was -1.07 in 2005.
How does China rank for political polarization score?
China ranks 98th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is political polarization score rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 87.1%. 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 Polarization Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Political Polarization Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 20,575 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which society is divided into hostile political camps, where political differences undermine social relationships and discourage interaction across ideological lines.