Which has higher liberal democracy index, Japan or Spain?

Spain, at 0.741 against 0.734 in Japan 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Japan vs Spain: Liberal Democracy Index

Japan

0.734

in 2025

Spain

0.741

in 2025

Japan rank

24th

Spain rank

21st

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Japan
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 0.741 against 0.734 in Japan, a difference of 0.007.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Spain ahead.

Japan ranks 24th and Spain ranks 21st of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 8 and Spain in 17.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Japan	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.019	0.07	0.051	Spain
1790s	0.016	0.07	0.054	Spain
1800s	0.016	0.0704	0.0544	Spain
1810s	0.016	0.0948	0.0788	Spain
1820s	0.016	0.109	0.093	Spain
1830s	0.016	0.1165	0.1005	Spain
1840s	0.016	0.1339	0.1179	Spain
1850s	0.0178	0.1343	0.1165	Spain
1860s	0.0211	0.1401	0.119	Spain
1870s	0.0937	0.1687	0.075	Spain
1880s	0.1092	0.1525	0.0433	Spain
1890s	0.1796	0.1636	0.016	Japan
1900s	0.1965	0.1638	0.0327	Japan
1910s	0.2015	0.1624	0.0391	Japan
1920s	0.21	0.1093	0.1007	Japan
1930s	0.2044	0.2732	0.0688	Spain
1940s	0.2457	0.055	0.1907	Japan
1950s	0.637	0.061	0.576	Japan
1960s	0.7499	0.0673	0.6826	Japan
1970s	0.7505	0.228	0.5225	Japan
1980s	0.7521	0.8014	0.0493	Spain
1990s	0.7567	0.8167	0.06	Spain
2000s	0.7674	0.8126	0.0452	Spain
2010s	0.7542	0.7859	0.0317	Spain
2020s	0.7387	0.7643	0.0257	Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Japan or Spain?: Spain, at 0.741 against 0.734 in Japan as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Japan and Spain?: 0.007, with Spain 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 liberal democracy index?: Japan ranks 24th and Spain ranks 21st 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.