> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://methodology.china-index.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Changes from 2024 > What the 2026 methodology changes from the 2024 edition, and where each change is described. The 2026 edition keeps the structure of 2024: nine Domains, 11 Indicators in each, three Layers and the same grading system. ## Indicators | Change | Indicators | | - | - | | New | 7 | | Revised | 10 | | Layer changed, wording unchanged | 2 | | Grammar corrected | 12 | | Additional Remark added or reworded, Indicator unchanged | 14 | | Unchanged | 54 | The 7 new Indicators replace 7 Indicators of 2024. Two more Indicators changed Layer together with another change (Foreign Policy 5 and Domestic Politics 7), so four Indicators changed Layer in all. Each Indicator is compared with its 2024 counterpart on [Indicator changes](/2026/indicator-changes). The final wording, with examples and Additional Remarks, is on [The indicators](/2026/indicators). ## Coverage 110 countries and territories, up from 101. Eight are new, and Zambia, last assessed in 2022, returns. See [Countries and regions](/2026/countries). ## Evidence periods | | 2024 | 2026 | | - | - | - | | Case Indicators | Cases from 1 January 2022 to the start of data collection | Cases from the 18 months before the response is written, and none from before 1 January 2025 | | System Indicators | In place when data collection begins | Unchanged. A system counts only while it remains in place, unless the Indicator asks about the past | | Diplomatic Position Indicators | The tenure of the current ruling administration | Unchanged. A position from earlier in that tenure can be older than 18 months | See [Evidence time periods](/2026/evidence-periods). ## Responses | | 2024 | 2026 | | - | - | - | | Scoring types | Named as binary or graded on some pages | Simple Yes-No (48), Graded Yes-No (47) and Diplomatic Position (4) on every page | | Confidence rating | A percentage | Five levels, from 1 Low to 5 Very high | | Time spent | Not recorded | Optional | | Diplomatic Position: silent or skip | Not distinguished | Silent when the records show no position; Skip when the records are unavailable or unclear | | Standard wording for Graded Yes-No responses | — | Typographical errors corrected | See [Data collection](/2026/data-collection#indicator-response-guidelines) and [Writing responses](/2026/writing-responses). ## Scoring In 2024, Layer scores kept skipped Indicators in the maximum and were rounded to whole numbers. In 2026 they are calculated like Domain and overall scores: skipped Indicators are left out and scores are rounded to one decimal place. See [Scoring and ranking](/2026/scoring#layer-scores). ## Review | | 2024 | 2026 | | - | - | - | | Reviewer | At least one reviewer | At least one respondent and another reviewer for every Indicator | See [Research process](/2026/research-process). ## Glossary and committee The [Glossary](/2026/glossary) now defines **Active** (Foreign Policy 1, Domestic Politics 2). The [Index Committee](/2026/index-committee) for 2026–2027 has six members. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.