LGBT+ Rights Index in Japan
Japan: LGBT+ Rights Index was 2.06 in 2025. ▲ Rising
LGBT+ Rights Index in Japan, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in Japan stood at 2.06. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 144.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Japan peaked at 2.06 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0833, in 2002.
That places Japan 86th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0833 | -91.7% |
| 2003 | 0.4167 | +400.2% |
| 2004 | 0.75 | +80.0% |
| 2005 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.75 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.8333 | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 0.8333 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.8333 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.8333 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.84 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.844 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.856 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 1.26 | +47.1% |
| 2019 | 1.35 | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 1.47 | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 1.55 | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 1.73 | +11.4% |
| 2023 | 1.93 | +11.5% |
| 2024 | 2.03 | +5.3% |
| 2025 | 2.06 | +1.3% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 2.06 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.11, 20% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Japan's 2.06 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.25, 1.6× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.7 | 0.0833 | 1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9231 | 0.75 | 1.35 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.79 | 1.47 | 2.06 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 83 Armenia 2.17 compare
- 83 East Timor 2.17 compare
- 85 Equatorial Guinea 2.07 compare
- 87 Samoa 2 compare
- 88 Antigua and Barbuda 2 compare
- 88 Belize 2 compare
- 88 Cambodia 2 compare
- 88 Dominica 2 compare
- 88 Dominican Republic 2 compare
- 88 Vanuatu 2 compare
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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lgbt+ rights index in Japan?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Japan was 2.06 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.06 in 2025.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0833 in 2002.
- How does Japan rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Japan ranks 86th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 144.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Summary measure of a country's LGBTI-related laws, calculated by subtracting the sum of its regressive policy scores from the sum of its progressive policy scores.