Statizoid

Competitive elections in Japan

Japan: Competitive elections was 1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 197 countries
All-time high
1
in 1918
All-time low
0
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Competitive elections in Japan, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, competitive elections in Japan stood at 1. That is the highest value across all 237 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, competitive elections in Japan peaked at 1 in 1918 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.

Japan ranks 1st of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0 0 0 1
1790s 0 0 0 10
1800s 0 0 0 10
1810s 0 0 0 10
1820s 0 0 0 10
1830s 0 0 0 10
1840s 0 0 0 10
1850s 0 0 0 10
1860s 0 0 0 10
1870s 0 0 0 10
1880s 0 0 0 10
1890s 0 0 0 10
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 0.2 0 1 10
1920s 1 1 1 10
1930s 0.2 0 1 10
1940s 0 0 0 10
1950s 0.8 0 1 10
1960s 1 1 1 10
1970s 1 1 1 10
1980s 1 1 1 10
1990s 1 1 1 10
2000s 1 1 1 10
2010s 1 1 1 10
2020s 1 1 1 6

Countries ranked near Japan

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  15. 1 Botswana 1 compare
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  17. 1 Bulgaria 1 compare
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  19. 1 Cape Verde 1 compare
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  21. 1 Colombia 1 compare
  22. 1 Costa Rica 1 compare
  23. 1 Croatia 1 compare
  24. 1 Cyprus 1 compare
  25. 1 Czechia 1 compare
  26. 1 Denmark 1 compare
  27. 1 Dominica 1 compare
  28. 1 Dominican Republic 1 compare
  29. 1 East Timor 1 compare
  30. 1 Ecuador 1 compare
  31. 1 Estonia 1 compare
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  33. 1 Finland 1 compare
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  38. 1 Greece 1 compare
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  44. 1 Iceland 1 compare
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  48. 1 Israel 1 compare
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  51. 1 Kenya 1 compare
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  54. 1 Lebanon 1 compare
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  56. 1 Liberia 1 compare
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  58. 1 Malawi 1 compare
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  84. 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 compare
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See the full ranking of 198 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is competitive elections in Japan?
Competitive elections in Japan was 1 in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest competitive elections recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 1 in 1918.
What is the lowest competitive elections recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
How does Japan rank for competitive elections?
Japan ranks 1st out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
Is competitive elections rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Competitive elections. 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
Competitive elections
Source
Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
198 places, 32,485 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Whether the outcomes of elections are uncertain because their timing is not violated, voters are not systematically coerced, and election fraud is not consequential.