Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in China

China: Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
-1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
194th
of 208 countries
All-time high
-1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5
in 2014
All-time low
-1.85 approx. -2.5 to +2.5
in 2002
Years of data
27
1996–2025

Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate in China, 1996–2025

-1.9-1.8-1.7-1.6-1.51996201020251996: -1.8 approx. -2.5 to +2.51998: -1.8 approx. -2.5 to +2.52000: -1.8 approx. -2.5 to +2.52002: -1.9 approx. -2.5 to +2.52003: -1.8 approx. -2.5 to +2.52004: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.52005: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52006: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52007: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52008: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52009: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52010: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52011: -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.52012: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52013: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52014: -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.52015: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52016: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52017: -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.52018: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52019: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52020: -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.52021: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.52022: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.52023: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.52024: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.52025: -1.7 approx. -2.5 to +2.5

Source: The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG). Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.

Analysis

China recorded -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 for voice and accountability - governance estimate in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, voice and accountability - governance estimate in China peaked at -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2014 and was at its lowest, -1.85 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2002.

China ranks 194th of 208 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in China, year by year

Annual values for Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in China, 1996 to 2025.
Year approx. -2.5 to +2.5 Change
1996 -1.82 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 —
1998 -1.82 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +0.3%
2000 -1.81 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -0.8%
2002 -1.85 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +2.2%
2003 -1.81 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -2.2%
2004 -1.71 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -5.7%
2005 -1.63 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -4.3%
2006 -1.59 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -2.6%
2007 -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +0.4%
2008 -1.63 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +2.2%
2009 -1.62 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -0.9%
2010 -1.62 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +0.2%
2011 -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -5.9%
2012 -1.57 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +3.2%
2013 -1.6 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +1.7%
2014 -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -5.0%
2015 -1.55 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +2.3%
2016 -1.55 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -0.2%
2017 -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.8%
2018 -1.58 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +3.5%
2019 -1.61 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +2.0%
2020 -1.65 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +2.6%
2021 -1.71 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +3.6%
2022 -1.71 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +0.2%
2023 -1.74 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +1.5%
2024 -1.74 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 +0.2%
2025 -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.2%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.0542 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 31.7× the median. (59 countries reporting)
  • China's -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.334 approx. -2.5 to +2.5. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s -1.82 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.82 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.82 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 2
2000s -1.69 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.85 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.59 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 9
2010s -1.56 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.62 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 10
2020s -1.71 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.74 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 -1.65 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 191 Egypt -1.64 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
  2. 192 Laos -1.64 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
  3. 193 Cambodia -1.65 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
  4. 195 Saudi Arabia -1.73 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
  5. 196 Belarus -1.74 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
  6. 197 Yemen -1.75 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare

See the full ranking of 208 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is voice and accountability - governance estimate in China?
Voice and accountability - governance estimate in China was -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG).
What is the highest voice and accountability - governance estimate recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was -1.52 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2014.
What is the lowest voice and accountability - governance estimate recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was -1.85 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2002.
How does China rank for voice and accountability - governance estimate?
China ranks 194th out of 208 countries with data for 2025.
Is voice and accountability - governance estimate rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG), published as part of Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate in China. Statizoid, drawing on The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG). Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/voice-and-accountability-governance-estimate-approx-2-5-to-2-5/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5)
Unit
approx. -2.5 to +2.5
Source
The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
208 places, 5,514 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

Voice and Accountability (VA) captures perceptions of the extent to which citizens can participate in selecting their government including electoral integrity, and of accountability mechanisms for citizens—reflected in the ability to access information, governmental oversight bodies, and a robust traditional/digital media landscape. Governance estimate from the aggregation model, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5. Larger values correspond to better governance. The (country-series-time) metadata include the (a) number of sources, and (b) standard error. The number of sources indicates the number of underlying data sources on which the governance estimate is based. The standard error indicates the precision of the governance estimate. Larger values indicate less precise estimates. A 90% confidence interval for the governance estimate is given by the estimate +/- 1.64 times the standard error.