Statizoid

Private Civil Liberties Index in China

China: Private Civil Liberties Index was 0.145 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.145
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
167th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.251
in 1945
All-time low
0.005
in 1965
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Private Civil Liberties Index in China, 1789–2025

00.050.10.150.20.25178919072025

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

Analysis

China recorded 0.145 for private civil liberties index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, private civil liberties index in China peaked at 0.251 in 1945 and was at its lowest, 0.005, in 1965.

That places China 167th 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.

Private Civil Liberties Index in China, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.114 —
1790 0.114 +0.0%
1791 0.114 +0.0%
1792 0.114 +0.0%
1793 0.114 +0.0%
1794 0.114 +0.0%
1795 0.114 +0.0%
1796 0.106 -7.0%
1797 0.106 +0.0%
1798 0.106 +0.0%
1799 0.106 +0.0%
1800 0.106 +0.0%
1801 0.106 +0.0%
1802 0.106 +0.0%
1803 0.106 +0.0%
1804 0.106 +0.0%
1805 0.106 +0.0%
1806 0.106 +0.0%
1807 0.106 +0.0%
1808 0.106 +0.0%
1809 0.106 +0.0%
1810 0.106 +0.0%
1811 0.106 +0.0%
1812 0.106 +0.0%
1813 0.106 +0.0%
1814 0.106 +0.0%
1815 0.106 +0.0%
1816 0.106 +0.0%
1817 0.106 +0.0%
1818 0.106 +0.0%
1819 0.106 +0.0%
1820 0.106 +0.0%
1821 0.106 +0.0%
1822 0.106 +0.0%
1823 0.106 +0.0%
1824 0.106 +0.0%
1825 0.106 +0.0%
1826 0.106 +0.0%
1827 0.106 +0.0%
1828 0.106 +0.0%
1829 0.106 +0.0%
1830 0.106 +0.0%
1831 0.106 +0.0%
1832 0.106 +0.0%
1833 0.106 +0.0%
1834 0.106 +0.0%
1835 0.106 +0.0%
1836 0.106 +0.0%
1837 0.106 +0.0%
1838 0.106 +0.0%
1839 0.106 +0.0%
1840 0.106 +0.0%
1841 0.106 +0.0%
1842 0.106 +0.0%
1843 0.106 +0.0%
1844 0.106 +0.0%
1845 0.106 +0.0%
1846 0.106 +0.0%
1847 0.106 +0.0%
1848 0.106 +0.0%
1849 0.106 +0.0%
1850 0.105 -0.9%
1851 0.085 -19.0%
1852 0.085 +0.0%
1853 0.085 +0.0%
1854 0.085 +0.0%
1855 0.085 +0.0%
1856 0.085 +0.0%
1857 0.085 +0.0%
1858 0.085 +0.0%
1859 0.085 +0.0%
1860 0.085 +0.0%
1861 0.085 +0.0%
1862 0.085 +0.0%
1863 0.085 +0.0%
1864 0.085 +0.0%
1865 0.106 +24.7%
1866 0.106 +0.0%
1867 0.106 +0.0%
1868 0.106 +0.0%
1869 0.106 +0.0%
1870 0.106 +0.0%
1871 0.106 +0.0%
1872 0.106 +0.0%
1873 0.106 +0.0%
1874 0.106 +0.0%
1875 0.106 +0.0%
1876 0.106 +0.0%
1877 0.106 +0.0%
1878 0.106 +0.0%
1879 0.106 +0.0%
1880 0.106 +0.0%
1881 0.106 +0.0%
1882 0.106 +0.0%
1883 0.106 +0.0%
1884 0.106 +0.0%
1885 0.106 +0.0%
1886 0.106 +0.0%
1887 0.106 +0.0%
1888 0.106 +0.0%
1889 0.106 +0.0%
1890 0.104 -1.9%
1891 0.104 +0.0%
1892 0.104 +0.0%
1893 0.104 +0.0%
1894 0.104 +0.0%
1895 0.104 +0.0%
1896 0.104 +0.0%
1897 0.104 +0.0%
1898 0.104 +0.0%
1899 0.104 +0.0%
1900 0.104 +0.0%
1901 0.104 +0.0%
1902 0.108 +3.8%
1903 0.108 +0.0%
1904 0.108 +0.0%
1905 0.108 +0.0%
1906 0.107 -0.9%
1907 0.107 +0.0%
1908 0.107 +0.0%
1909 0.107 +0.0%
1910 0.109 +1.9%
1911 0.109 +0.0%
1912 0.172 +57.8%
1913 0.245 +42.4%
1914 0.245 +0.0%
1915 0.245 +0.0%
1916 0.245 +0.0%
1917 0.245 +0.0%
1918 0.245 +0.0%
1919 0.245 +0.0%
1920 0.245 +0.0%
1921 0.245 +0.0%
1922 0.245 +0.0%
1923 0.245 +0.0%
1924 0.245 +0.0%
1925 0.245 +0.0%
1926 0.245 +0.0%
1927 0.24 -2.0%
1928 0.244 +1.7%
1929 0.245 +0.4%
1930 0.245 +0.0%
1931 0.245 +0.0%
1932 0.245 +0.0%
1933 0.245 +0.0%
1934 0.245 +0.0%
1935 0.245 +0.0%
1936 0.245 +0.0%
1937 0.245 +0.0%
1938 0.241 -1.6%
1939 0.241 +0.0%
1940 0.241 +0.0%
1941 0.241 +0.0%
1942 0.241 +0.0%
1943 0.241 +0.0%
1944 0.241 +0.0%
1945 0.251 +4.1%
1946 0.251 +0.0%
1947 0.251 +0.0%
1948 0.251 +0.0%
1949 0.072 -71.3%
1950 0.014 -80.6%
1951 0.014 +0.0%
1952 0.014 +0.0%
1953 0.014 +0.0%
1954 0.014 +0.0%
1955 0.013 -7.1%
1956 0.013 +0.0%
1957 0.009 -30.8%
1958 0.007 -22.2%
1959 0.006 -14.3%
1960 0.006 +0.0%
1961 0.006 +0.0%
1962 0.006 +0.0%
1963 0.006 +0.0%
1964 0.006 +0.0%
1965 0.005 -16.7%
1966 0.005 +0.0%
1967 0.005 +0.0%
1968 0.005 +0.0%
1969 0.005 +0.0%
1970 0.005 +0.0%
1971 0.005 +0.0%
1972 0.005 +0.0%
1973 0.005 +0.0%
1974 0.005 +0.0%
1975 0.005 +0.0%
1976 0.005 +0.0%
1977 0.005 +0.0%
1978 0.023 +360.0%
1979 0.076 +230.4%
1980 0.123 +61.8%
1981 0.128 +4.1%
1982 0.128 +0.0%
1983 0.128 +0.0%
1984 0.128 +0.0%
1985 0.128 +0.0%
1986 0.128 +0.0%
1987 0.128 +0.0%
1988 0.128 +0.0%
1989 0.128 +0.0%
1990 0.129 +0.8%
1991 0.129 +0.0%
1992 0.133 +3.1%
1993 0.137 +3.0%
1994 0.141 +2.9%
1995 0.158 +12.1%
1996 0.162 +2.5%
1997 0.162 +0.0%
1998 0.163 +0.6%
1999 0.168 +3.1%
2000 0.198 +17.9%
2001 0.198 +0.0%
2002 0.203 +2.5%
2003 0.203 +0.0%
2004 0.202 -0.5%
2005 0.207 +2.5%
2006 0.207 +0.0%
2007 0.211 +1.9%
2008 0.211 +0.0%
2009 0.214 +1.4%
2010 0.205 -4.2%
2011 0.205 +0.0%
2012 0.196 -4.4%
2013 0.198 +1.0%
2014 0.187 -5.6%
2015 0.186 -0.5%
2016 0.179 -3.8%
2017 0.162 -9.5%
2018 0.16 -1.2%
2019 0.136 -15.0%
2020 0.119 -12.5%
2021 0.107 -10.1%
2022 0.117 +9.3%
2023 0.113 -3.4%
2024 0.15 +32.7%
2025 0.145 -3.3%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 0.145 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7585, 19% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • China's 0.145 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7205, 20% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.114 0.114 0.114 1
1790s 0.1108 0.106 0.114 10
1800s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1810s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1820s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1830s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1840s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1850s 0.087 0.085 0.105 10
1860s 0.0955 0.085 0.106 10
1870s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1880s 0.106 0.106 0.106 10
1890s 0.104 0.104 0.104 10
1900s 0.1068 0.104 0.108 10
1910s 0.2105 0.109 0.245 10
1920s 0.2444 0.24 0.245 10
1930s 0.2442 0.241 0.245 10
1940s 0.2281 0.072 0.251 10
1950s 0.0118 0.006 0.014 10
1960s 0.0055 0.005 0.006 10
1970s 0.0139 0.005 0.076 10
1980s 0.1275 0.123 0.128 10
1990s 0.1482 0.129 0.168 10
2000s 0.2054 0.198 0.214 10
2010s 0.1814 0.136 0.205 10
2020s 0.1252 0.107 0.15 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 164 Laos 0.204 compare
  2. 165 Qatar 0.176 compare
  3. 166 Saudi Arabia 0.171 compare
  4. 168 Nicaragua 0.144 compare
  5. 169 Yemen 0.137 compare
  6. 170 Myanmar 0.136 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is private civil liberties index in China?
Private civil liberties index in China was 0.145 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest private civil liberties index recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 0.251 in 1945.
What is the lowest private civil liberties index recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.005 in 1965.
How does China rank for private civil liberties index?
China ranks 167th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is private civil liberties index rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. 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 Private Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Private Civil Liberties Index in China. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/private-civil-liberties-index/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Private 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, 30,494 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate the extent to which people are free from forced labor, have property rights, and enjoy freedom of movement and religion.