Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan

Japan: Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index was 0.819 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.819
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
24th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.854
in 2009
All-time low
0.025
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan is 0.819, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan peaked at 0.854 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.025, in 1789.

That places Japan 24th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.025 0.025 0.025 1
1790s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1800s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1810s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1820s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1830s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1840s 0.027 0.027 0.027 10
1850s 0.029 0.029 0.029 10
1860s 0.0315 0.029 0.047 10
1870s 0.083 0.083 0.083 10
1880s 0.083 0.083 0.083 10
1890s 0.155 0.129 0.166 10
1900s 0.173 0.171 0.175 10
1910s 0.177 0.174 0.184 10
1920s 0.1964 0.185 0.211 10
1930s 0.1909 0.167 0.205 10
1940s 0.2313 0.137 0.372 10
1950s 0.7018 0.375 0.829 10
1960s 0.8305 0.829 0.831 10
1970s 0.8352 0.832 0.838 10
1980s 0.8355 0.834 0.838 10
1990s 0.8369 0.835 0.839 10
2000s 0.8429 0.838 0.854 10
2010s 0.8299 0.815 0.852 10
2020s 0.8242 0.819 0.831 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 21 Germany 0.828 compare
  2. 22 Portugal 0.822 compare
  3. 22 Spain 0.822 compare
  4. 24 South Korea 0.819 compare
  5. 26 Iceland 0.807 compare
  6. 27 Jamaica 0.805 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More social development data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan?
Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index in Japan was 0.819 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 0.854 in 2009.
What is the lowest government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.025 in 1789.
How does Japan rank for government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index?
Japan ranks 24th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Government effectiveness vs electoral democracy index
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 29,523 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed