What is academic freedom index in Japan?

Academic freedom index in Japan was 0.76 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Japan?

The highest recorded value was 0.76 in 2024.

What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Japan?

The lowest recorded value was 0.246 in 1939.

How does Japan rank for academic freedom index?

Japan ranks 62nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.

Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Japan?

Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Japan data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Academic Freedom Index in Japan

Name: Academic Freedom Index in Japan
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Japan: Academic Freedom Index was 0.76 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.76

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

62nd

of 174 countries

All-time high

0.76

in 2024

All-time low

0.246

in 1939

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Academic Freedom Index in Japan, 1900–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Japan recorded 0.76 for academic freedom index in 2025. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.

The figure is up 11.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, academic freedom index in Japan peaked at 0.76 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.246, in 1939.

Japan ranks 62nd of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Academic Freedom Index in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Academic Freedom Index in Japan, 1900 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1900	0.351	—
1901	0.351	+0.0%
1902	0.351	+0.0%
1903	0.351	+0.0%
1904	0.351	+0.0%
1905	0.351	+0.0%
1906	0.351	+0.0%
1907	0.351	+0.0%
1908	0.351	+0.0%
1909	0.351	+0.0%
1910	0.351	+0.0%
1911	0.351	+0.0%
1912	0.351	+0.0%
1913	0.351	+0.0%
1914	0.351	+0.0%
1915	0.351	+0.0%
1916	0.351	+0.0%
1917	0.351	+0.0%
1918	0.354	+0.9%
1919	0.354	+0.0%
1920	0.354	+0.0%
1921	0.348	-1.7%
1922	0.348	+0.0%
1923	0.348	+0.0%
1924	0.348	+0.0%
1925	0.348	+0.0%
1926	0.337	-3.2%
1927	0.337	+0.0%
1928	0.337	+0.0%
1929	0.337	+0.0%
1930	0.28	-16.9%
1931	0.28	+0.0%
1932	0.28	+0.0%
1933	0.28	+0.0%
1934	0.265	-5.4%
1935	0.257	-3.0%
1936	0.257	+0.0%
1937	0.257	+0.0%
1938	0.257	+0.0%
1939	0.246	-4.3%
1940	0.246	+0.0%
1941	0.272	+10.6%
1942	0.272	+0.0%
1943	0.272	+0.0%
1944	0.272	+0.0%
1945	0.279	+2.6%
1946	0.442	+58.4%
1947	0.453	+2.5%
1948	0.453	+0.0%
1949	0.469	+3.5%
1950	0.623	+32.8%
1951	0.623	+0.0%
1952	0.623	+0.0%
1953	0.649	+4.2%
1954	0.649	+0.0%
1955	0.649	+0.0%
1956	0.649	+0.0%
1957	0.649	+0.0%
1958	0.649	+0.0%
1959	0.649	+0.0%
1960	0.649	+0.0%
1961	0.649	+0.0%
1962	0.649	+0.0%
1963	0.649	+0.0%
1964	0.649	+0.0%
1965	0.649	+0.0%
1966	0.649	+0.0%
1967	0.649	+0.0%
1968	0.649	+0.0%
1969	0.649	+0.0%
1970	0.649	+0.0%
1971	0.649	+0.0%
1972	0.649	+0.0%
1973	0.675	+4.0%
1974	0.675	+0.0%
1975	0.675	+0.0%
1976	0.675	+0.0%
1977	0.675	+0.0%
1978	0.675	+0.0%
1979	0.675	+0.0%
1980	0.675	+0.0%
1981	0.675	+0.0%
1982	0.675	+0.0%
1983	0.675	+0.0%
1984	0.675	+0.0%
1985	0.675	+0.0%
1986	0.675	+0.0%
1987	0.675	+0.0%
1988	0.675	+0.0%
1989	0.675	+0.0%
1990	0.675	+0.0%
1991	0.675	+0.0%
1992	0.675	+0.0%
1993	0.675	+0.0%
1994	0.687	+1.8%
1995	0.687	+0.0%
1996	0.687	+0.0%
1997	0.687	+0.0%
1998	0.687	+0.0%
1999	0.687	+0.0%
2000	0.664	-3.3%
2001	0.664	+0.0%
2002	0.664	+0.0%
2003	0.664	+0.0%
2004	0.664	+0.0%
2005	0.664	+0.0%
2006	0.664	+0.0%
2007	0.664	+0.0%
2008	0.664	+0.0%
2009	0.664	+0.0%
2010	0.664	+0.0%
2011	0.664	+0.0%
2012	0.664	+0.0%
2013	0.664	+0.0%
2014	0.664	+0.0%
2015	0.679	+2.3%
2016	0.679	+0.0%
2017	0.679	+0.0%
2018	0.679	+0.0%
2019	0.679	+0.0%
2020	0.613	-9.7%
2021	0.625	+2.0%
2022	0.625	+0.0%
2023	0.625	+0.0%
2024	0.76	+21.6%
2025	0.76	+0.0%

Japan compared with similar countries

Japan's 0.76 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.847, 90% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Japan's 0.76 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.5275, 1.4× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.351	0.351	0.351	10
1910s	0.3516	0.351	0.354	10
1920s	0.3442	0.337	0.354	10
1930s	0.2659	0.246	0.28	10
1940s	0.343	0.246	0.469	10
1950s	0.6412	0.623	0.649	10
1960s	0.649	0.649	0.649	10
1970s	0.6672	0.649	0.675	10
1980s	0.675	0.675	0.675	10
1990s	0.6822	0.675	0.687	10
2000s	0.664	0.664	0.664	10
2010s	0.6715	0.664	0.679	10
2020s	0.668	0.613	0.76	6

Countries ranked near Japan

59 Switzerland 0.773 compare
60 Netherlands 0.763 compare
61 Guyana 0.761 compare
62 Albania 0.76 compare
64 Iceland 0.756 compare
65 Senegal 0.755 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for Japan

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,450 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is academic freedom index in Japan?: Academic freedom index in Japan was 0.76 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest academic freedom index recorded in Japan?: The highest recorded value was 0.76 in 2024.
What is the lowest academic freedom index recorded in Japan?: The lowest recorded value was 0.246 in 1939.
How does Japan rank for academic freedom index?: Japan ranks 62nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is academic freedom index rising or falling in Japan?: Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Academic Freedom Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Academic Freedom Index in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/academic-freedom-index/japan/

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About this data

Indicator: Academic Freedom Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 174 places, 16,942 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which academics can research, teach, publish, express opinions, and participate in academic bodies without interference, censorship, or institutional restrictions, and universities exercise institutional autonomy.