Political Polarization Score in Japan

Japan: Political Polarization Score was -1.74 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
-1.74
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
161st
of 174 countries
All-time high
-0.65
in 1960
All-time low
-2.27
in 1994
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Political Polarization Score in Japan, 1900–2025

-2.5-2-1.5-1-0.5190019622025

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

Analysis

Japan recorded -1.74 for political polarization score in 2025.

That represents a change of down 27.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political polarization score in Japan peaked at -0.65 in 1960 and was at its lowest, -2.27, in 1994.

That places Japan 161st out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s -1.31 -1.31 -1.31 10
1910s -1.31 -1.31 -1.31 10
1920s -1.71 -1.71 -1.71 10
1930s -0.977 -0.977 -0.977 10
1940s -1.12 -1.34 -0.977 10
1950s -1.34 -1.34 -1.34 10
1960s -1.65 -1.76 -0.65 10
1970s -1.76 -1.76 -1.76 10
1980s -1.76 -1.76 -1.76 10
1990s -2.06 -2.27 -1.76 10
2000s -2.27 -2.27 -2.27 10
2010s -1.59 -2.27 -1.36 10
2020s -1.74 -1.74 -1.74 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 158 Denmark -1.65 compare
  2. 159 Fiji -1.7 compare
  3. 159 Saudi Arabia -1.7 compare
  4. 162 Estonia -1.74 compare
  5. 163 Barbados -1.78 compare
  6. 164 Uruguay -1.81 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is political polarization score in Japan?
Political polarization score in Japan was -1.74 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political polarization score recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was -0.65 in 1960.
What is the lowest political polarization score recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was -2.27 in 1994.
How does Japan rank for political polarization score?
Japan ranks 161st out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is political polarization score rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Political Polarization Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Political Polarization Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 20,575 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which society is divided into hostile political camps, where political differences undermine social relationships and discourage interaction across ideological lines.