Which has higher liberal democracy index, Canada or Japan?

Canada, at 0.736 against 0.734 in Japan as of 2025.

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

185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

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

Canada vs Japan: Liberal Democracy Index

Canada

0.736

in 2025

Japan

0.734

in 2025

Canada rank

23rd

Japan rank

24th

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Canada
Japan

How they compare

Canada currently reports 0.736 against 0.734 in Japan, a difference of 0.002.

The two have swapped places 12 times across 185 shared years of data; in 1841 it was Canada ahead.

Canada ranks 23rd and Japan ranks 24th of 176 countries.

Across the 19 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 15 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Canada	Japan	Difference	Ahead
1840s	0.2846	0.016	0.2686	Canada
1850s	0.283	0.0178	0.2652	Canada
1860s	0.2946	0.0211	0.2735	Canada
1870s	0.3561	0.0937	0.2624	Canada
1880s	0.3871	0.1092	0.2779	Canada
1890s	0.4025	0.1796	0.2229	Canada
1900s	0.4134	0.1965	0.2169	Canada
1910s	0.4055	0.2015	0.204	Canada
1920s	0.5346	0.21	0.3246	Canada
1930s	0.5565	0.2044	0.3521	Canada
1940s	0.5771	0.2457	0.3314	Canada
1950s	0.6599	0.637	0.0229	Canada
1960s	0.724	0.7499	0.0259	Japan
1970s	0.7422	0.7505	0.0083	Japan
1980s	0.7524	0.7521	0.0003	Canada
1990s	0.7571	0.7567	0.0004	Canada
2000s	0.7524	0.7674	0.015	Japan
2010s	0.7509	0.7542	0.0033	Japan
2020s	0.7435	0.7387	0.0048	Canada

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Canada or Japan?: Canada, at 0.736 against 0.734 in Japan as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Canada and Japan?: 0.002, with Canada ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Japan?: 185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.
How do Canada and Japan rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Canada ranks 23rd and Japan ranks 24th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.