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

Japan, at 0.847 against 0.843 in Spain as of 2025.

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

237 years are reported by both, from 1789 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.

Japan vs Spain: Freedom of Expression Index

Japan

0.847

in 2025

Spain

0.843

in 2025

Japan rank

43rd

Spain rank

45th

Freedom of Expression Index over time

Japan
Spain

How they compare

Japan currently reports 0.847 against 0.843 in Spain, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 10 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 43rd and Spain ranks 45th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 7 and Spain in 18.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Japan	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.129	0.105	0.024	Japan
1790s	0.143	0.105	0.038	Japan
1800s	0.143	0.1731	0.0301	Spain
1810s	0.143	0.2678	0.1248	Spain
1820s	0.143	0.2631	0.1201	Spain
1830s	0.143	0.264	0.121	Spain
1840s	0.143	0.4624	0.3194	Spain
1850s	0.165	0.4508	0.2858	Spain
1860s	0.183	0.4896	0.3066	Spain
1870s	0.379	0.547	0.168	Spain
1880s	0.379	0.5357	0.1567	Spain
1890s	0.407	0.546	0.139	Spain
1900s	0.4576	0.547	0.0894	Spain
1910s	0.4821	0.547	0.0649	Spain
1920s	0.4413	0.2752	0.1661	Japan
1930s	0.2913	0.6157	0.3244	Spain
1940s	0.3659	0.0194	0.3465	Japan
1950s	0.879	0.021	0.858	Japan
1960s	0.918	0.0449	0.8731	Japan
1970s	0.923	0.3329	0.5901	Japan
1980s	0.922	0.9538	0.0318	Spain
1990s	0.923	0.96	0.037	Spain
2000s	0.9231	0.96	0.0369	Spain
2010s	0.8834	0.9267	0.0433	Spain
2020s	0.851	0.8813	0.0303	Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, Japan or Spain?: Japan, at 0.847 against 0.843 in Spain as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Japan and Spain?: 0.004, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Spain?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Japan and Spain rank globally for freedom of expression index?: Japan ranks 43rd and Spain ranks 45th 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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Japan vs Spain: Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/japan/spain/

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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.