Which has higher freedom of expression index, Iceland or Japan?

Japan, at 0.847 against 0.846 in Iceland as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Japan?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Iceland vs Japan: Freedom of Expression Index

Iceland

0.846

in 2025

Japan

0.847

in 2025

Iceland rank

44th

Japan rank

43rd

Freedom of Expression Index over time

Iceland
Japan

How they compare

Japan currently reports 0.847 against 0.846 in Iceland, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 44th and Japan ranks 43rd of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 9 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	Japan	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.879	0.4576	0.4214	Iceland
1910s	0.879	0.4821	0.3969	Iceland
1920s	0.868	0.4413	0.4267	Iceland
1930s	0.863	0.2913	0.5717	Iceland
1940s	0.8446	0.3659	0.4787	Iceland
1950s	0.862	0.879	0.017	Japan
1960s	0.8725	0.918	0.0455	Japan
1970s	0.896	0.923	0.027	Japan
1980s	0.9183	0.922	0.0037	Japan
1990s	0.9458	0.923	0.0228	Iceland
2000s	0.95	0.9231	0.0269	Iceland
2010s	0.9377	0.8834	0.0543	Iceland
2020s	0.9102	0.851	0.0592	Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, Iceland or Japan?: Japan, at 0.847 against 0.846 in Iceland as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Iceland and Japan?: 0.001, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Japan?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iceland and Japan rank globally for freedom of expression index?: Iceland ranks 44th and Japan ranks 43rd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Japan: Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/iceland/japan/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.