Freedom in China
Where China sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. China has a figure for 54 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.045 | 2025 | 154 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.030 | 2025 | 156 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.179 | 2025 | 152 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.345 | 2025 | 128 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.368 | 2025 | 128 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.071 | 2025 | 154 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | -2.425 | 2025 | 156 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | -1.396 | 2025 | 144 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | -2.455 | 2025 | 157 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 0.000 | 2025 | 144 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 78.1 | 2023 | 101 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 28 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 60 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 0.000 | 2025 | 67 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 11.0 | 2025 | 143 of 167 |
| Political rights score | -2.0 | 2025 | 162 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade openness | 38.0% | 2025 | 109 of 125 |
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | 7.0% | 2024 | 4 of 83 |
| Foreign investment inflows | 0.4% | 2025 | 70 of 87 |
| Regulatory quality | 53.7 | 2024 | 74 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $25.1K | 2025 | 60 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 5.0% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | 0.1% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 2025 | 68 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 92.0% | 2024 | 38 of 154 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | 47.2 | 2024 | 3 of 134 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 131.8 | 2024 | 36 of 134 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.072 | 2025 | 159 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.039 | 2025 | 155 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.209 | 2025 | 126 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.030 | 2025 | 152 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.124 | 2025 | 140 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.554 | 2025 | 80 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.219 | 2025 | 148 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.587 | 2025 | 125 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 27.9 | 2024 | 156 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 49.7 | 2024 | 58 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 68.8 | 2024 | 33 of 169 |
| Political stability | 63.3 | 2024 | 84 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.797 | 2023 | 65 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 78.0 | 2024 | 49 of 170 |
| Government spending on education | 3.9% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 5.9% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 32.2% | 2023 | 97 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 16.0 | 2023 | 57 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 26.5% | 2025 | 80 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 59.1% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 1.01 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 66.3% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 10.8 | 2024 | 68 of 168 |
| Population | 1.4B | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 9.32 | 2024 | 148 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 15.2% | 2021 | 115 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 100.0% | 2024 | 16 of 169 |
What is missing
6 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for China in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for China, not a zero. Who publishes what