Statizoid

Rule of Law Index in Japan

Japan: Rule of Law Index was 0.956 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.956
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
20th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.96
in 1998
All-time low
0.33
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Rule of Law Index in Japan, 1789–2025

0.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, rule of law index in Japan stood at 0.956.

The figure is up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rule of law index in Japan peaked at 0.96 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.33, in 1789.

Japan ranks 20th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Rule of Law Index in Japan, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.33 —
1790 0.33 +0.0%
1791 0.33 +0.0%
1792 0.33 +0.0%
1793 0.33 +0.0%
1794 0.33 +0.0%
1795 0.33 +0.0%
1796 0.33 +0.0%
1797 0.33 +0.0%
1798 0.33 +0.0%
1799 0.33 +0.0%
1800 0.33 +0.0%
1801 0.33 +0.0%
1802 0.33 +0.0%
1803 0.33 +0.0%
1804 0.33 +0.0%
1805 0.33 +0.0%
1806 0.33 +0.0%
1807 0.33 +0.0%
1808 0.33 +0.0%
1809 0.33 +0.0%
1810 0.33 +0.0%
1811 0.33 +0.0%
1812 0.33 +0.0%
1813 0.33 +0.0%
1814 0.33 +0.0%
1815 0.33 +0.0%
1816 0.33 +0.0%
1817 0.33 +0.0%
1818 0.33 +0.0%
1819 0.33 +0.0%
1820 0.33 +0.0%
1821 0.33 +0.0%
1822 0.33 +0.0%
1823 0.33 +0.0%
1824 0.33 +0.0%
1825 0.33 +0.0%
1826 0.33 +0.0%
1827 0.33 +0.0%
1828 0.33 +0.0%
1829 0.33 +0.0%
1830 0.33 +0.0%
1831 0.33 +0.0%
1832 0.33 +0.0%
1833 0.33 +0.0%
1834 0.33 +0.0%
1835 0.33 +0.0%
1836 0.33 +0.0%
1837 0.33 +0.0%
1838 0.33 +0.0%
1839 0.33 +0.0%
1840 0.33 +0.0%
1841 0.33 +0.0%
1842 0.33 +0.0%
1843 0.33 +0.0%
1844 0.33 +0.0%
1845 0.33 +0.0%
1846 0.33 +0.0%
1847 0.33 +0.0%
1848 0.33 +0.0%
1849 0.33 +0.0%
1850 0.33 +0.0%
1851 0.33 +0.0%
1852 0.33 +0.0%
1853 0.33 +0.0%
1854 0.33 +0.0%
1855 0.33 +0.0%
1856 0.33 +0.0%
1857 0.33 +0.0%
1858 0.349 +5.8%
1859 0.349 +0.0%
1860 0.455 +30.4%
1861 0.455 +0.0%
1862 0.455 +0.0%
1863 0.455 +0.0%
1864 0.455 +0.0%
1865 0.455 +0.0%
1866 0.455 +0.0%
1867 0.477 +4.8%
1868 0.508 +6.5%
1869 0.573 +12.8%
1870 0.725 +26.5%
1871 0.725 +0.0%
1872 0.725 +0.0%
1873 0.725 +0.0%
1874 0.725 +0.0%
1875 0.748 +3.2%
1876 0.775 +3.6%
1877 0.775 +0.0%
1878 0.775 +0.0%
1879 0.775 +0.0%
1880 0.775 +0.0%
1881 0.741 -4.4%
1882 0.741 +0.0%
1883 0.741 +0.0%
1884 0.741 +0.0%
1885 0.741 +0.0%
1886 0.741 +0.0%
1887 0.741 +0.0%
1888 0.741 +0.0%
1889 0.741 +0.0%
1890 0.776 +4.7%
1891 0.776 +0.0%
1892 0.776 +0.0%
1893 0.776 +0.0%
1894 0.776 +0.0%
1895 0.776 +0.0%
1896 0.776 +0.0%
1897 0.776 +0.0%
1898 0.785 +1.2%
1899 0.785 +0.0%
1900 0.858 +9.3%
1901 0.855 -0.3%
1902 0.855 +0.0%
1903 0.855 +0.0%
1904 0.855 +0.0%
1905 0.855 +0.0%
1906 0.855 +0.0%
1907 0.855 +0.0%
1908 0.855 +0.0%
1909 0.848 -0.8%
1910 0.844 -0.5%
1911 0.848 +0.5%
1912 0.85 +0.2%
1913 0.849 -0.1%
1914 0.848 -0.1%
1915 0.848 +0.0%
1916 0.848 +0.0%
1917 0.848 +0.0%
1918 0.848 +0.0%
1919 0.848 +0.0%
1920 0.848 +0.0%
1921 0.848 +0.0%
1922 0.848 +0.0%
1923 0.848 +0.0%
1924 0.848 +0.0%
1925 0.848 +0.0%
1926 0.846 -0.2%
1927 0.846 +0.0%
1928 0.846 +0.0%
1929 0.846 +0.0%
1930 0.846 +0.0%
1931 0.846 +0.0%
1932 0.846 +0.0%
1933 0.846 +0.0%
1934 0.846 +0.0%
1935 0.846 +0.0%
1936 0.846 +0.0%
1937 0.846 +0.0%
1938 0.846 +0.0%
1939 0.846 +0.0%
1940 0.846 +0.0%
1941 0.846 +0.0%
1942 0.846 +0.0%
1943 0.846 +0.0%
1944 0.846 +0.0%
1945 0.846 +0.0%
1946 0.876 +3.5%
1947 0.904 +3.2%
1948 0.933 +3.2%
1949 0.933 +0.0%
1950 0.933 +0.0%
1951 0.933 +0.0%
1952 0.933 +0.0%
1953 0.948 +1.6%
1954 0.948 +0.0%
1955 0.952 +0.4%
1956 0.952 +0.0%
1957 0.948 -0.4%
1958 0.952 +0.4%
1959 0.952 +0.0%
1960 0.952 +0.0%
1961 0.952 +0.0%
1962 0.952 +0.0%
1963 0.952 +0.0%
1964 0.952 +0.0%
1965 0.952 +0.0%
1966 0.952 +0.0%
1967 0.952 +0.0%
1968 0.952 +0.0%
1969 0.952 +0.0%
1970 0.952 +0.0%
1971 0.958 +0.6%
1972 0.958 +0.0%
1973 0.958 +0.0%
1974 0.958 +0.0%
1975 0.958 +0.0%
1976 0.958 +0.0%
1977 0.958 +0.0%
1978 0.958 +0.0%
1979 0.958 +0.0%
1980 0.952 -0.6%
1981 0.952 +0.0%
1982 0.955 +0.3%
1983 0.955 +0.0%
1984 0.955 +0.0%
1985 0.955 +0.0%
1986 0.955 +0.0%
1987 0.955 +0.0%
1988 0.955 +0.0%
1989 0.955 +0.0%
1990 0.955 +0.0%
1991 0.955 +0.0%
1992 0.955 +0.0%
1993 0.955 +0.0%
1994 0.958 +0.3%
1995 0.958 +0.0%
1996 0.958 +0.0%
1997 0.958 +0.0%
1998 0.96 +0.2%
1999 0.96 +0.0%
2000 0.96 +0.0%
2001 0.96 +0.0%
2002 0.96 +0.0%
2003 0.96 +0.0%
2004 0.96 +0.0%
2005 0.96 +0.0%
2006 0.96 +0.0%
2007 0.96 +0.0%
2008 0.96 +0.0%
2009 0.96 +0.0%
2010 0.96 +0.0%
2011 0.96 +0.0%
2012 0.96 +0.0%
2013 0.957 -0.3%
2014 0.954 -0.3%
2015 0.954 +0.0%
2016 0.949 -0.5%
2017 0.949 +0.0%
2018 0.949 +0.0%
2019 0.957 +0.8%
2020 0.958 +0.1%
2021 0.96 +0.2%
2022 0.96 +0.0%
2023 0.958 -0.2%
2024 0.956 -0.2%
2025 0.956 +0.0%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 0.956 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.927, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 0.956 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.59, 1.6× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.33 0.33 0.33 1
1790s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1800s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1810s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1820s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1830s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1840s 0.33 0.33 0.33 10
1850s 0.3338 0.33 0.349 10
1860s 0.4743 0.455 0.573 10
1870s 0.7473 0.725 0.775 10
1880s 0.7444 0.741 0.775 10
1890s 0.7778 0.776 0.785 10
1900s 0.8546 0.848 0.858 10
1910s 0.8479 0.844 0.85 10
1920s 0.8472 0.846 0.848 10
1930s 0.846 0.846 0.846 10
1940s 0.8722 0.846 0.933 10
1950s 0.9451 0.933 0.952 10
1960s 0.952 0.952 0.952 10
1970s 0.9574 0.952 0.958 10
1980s 0.9544 0.952 0.955 10
1990s 0.9572 0.955 0.96 10
2000s 0.96 0.96 0.96 10
2010s 0.9549 0.949 0.96 10
2020s 0.958 0.956 0.96 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 17 France 0.967 compare
  2. 18 Belgium 0.964 compare
  3. 19 Canada 0.963 compare
  4. 21 United Kingdom 0.955 compare
  5. 22 Chile 0.951 compare
  6. 23 Spain 0.947 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is rule of law index in Japan?
Rule of law index in Japan was 0.956 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 0.96 in 1998.
What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.33 in 1789.
How does Japan rank for rule of law index?
Japan ranks 20th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is rule of law 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 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 Rule of Law Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

Relationships involving this indicator

Comparisons with other indicators across countries. Each was re-measured with population and national income held constant, so a relationship that only reflected country size is not listed here.

All correlations →

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Rule of Law Index in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/rule-of-law-index/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Rule of Law Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,303 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which the government complies with the law, courts are independent, laws transparent, justice accessible, corruption absent, and the bureaucracy is impartial.