Strong Elected Local Governments Index in China
China: Strong Elected Local Governments Index was 0.135 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.135
Change on year
up 132.8%
World rank
148th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.135
in 2025
All-time low
0.008
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Strong Elected Local Governments Index in China, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for strong elected local governments index in China is 0.135, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.
The figure is up 132.8% on the previous year and up 365.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, strong elected local governments index in China peaked at 0.135 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.008, in 1900.
That places China 148th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Strong Elected Local Governments Index in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.008 | — |
| 1901 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.008 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.017 | +112.5% |
| 1914 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.039 | +129.4% |
| 1926 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.05 | +28.2% |
| 1929 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.044 | -12.0% |
| 1938 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.044 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.074 | +68.2% |
| 1950 | 0.04 | -45.9% |
| 1951 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.042 | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.022 | -47.6% |
| 1998 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.031 | +40.9% |
| 2010 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.029 | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.045 | +55.2% |
| 2018 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.045 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.047 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 0.058 | +23.4% |
| 2023 | 0.058 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.058 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.135 | +132.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.135 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.87, 16% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 0.135 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.642, 21% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.008 | 0.008 | 0.008 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0143 | 0.008 | 0.017 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0302 | 0.017 | 0.05 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0482 | 0.044 | 0.05 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.047 | 0.044 | 0.074 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0416 | 0.04 | 0.042 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.036 | 0.022 | 0.042 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0229 | 0.022 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0348 | 0.029 | 0.045 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0668 | 0.045 | 0.135 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 145 Egypt 0.156 compare
- 145 Guinea-Bissau 0.156 compare
- 147 Belarus 0.148 compare
- 149 Cuba 0.132 compare
- 150 Bangladesh 0.129 compare
- 151 Seychelles 0.086 compare
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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is strong elected local governments index in China?
- Strong elected local governments index in China was 0.135 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest strong elected local governments index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.135 in 2025.
- What is the lowest strong elected local governments index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.008 in 1900.
- How does China rank for strong elected local governments index?
- China ranks 148th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is strong elected local governments index rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 365.5%. 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 Strong Elected Local Governments Index. 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
Central estimate of the extent to which elected local governments exist, and they operate without interference from local unelected bodies.