What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Japan?

The highest recorded value was 2.16 in 1989.

What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Japan?

The lowest recorded value was 1.53 in 1966.

How does Japan rank for state capacity index?

Japan ranks 19th out of 165 countries with data for 2015.

Is state capacity index rising or falling in Japan?

Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Japan data come from?

The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

State Capacity Index in Japan

Name: State Capacity Index in Japan
Creator: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Japan: State Capacity Index was 1.77 in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)

1.77

Change on year

down 2.2%

World rank

19th

of 165 countries

All-time high

2.16

in 1989

All-time low

1.53

in 1966

Years of data

1960–2015

State Capacity Index in Japan, 1960–2015

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for state capacity index in Japan is 1.77, measured in 2015.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Japan peaked at 2.16 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.53, in 1966.

That places Japan 19th out of 165 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	1.68	1.53	1.85	10
1970s	1.79	1.69	1.86	10
1980s	2.02	1.9	2.16	10
1990s	2.05	1.91	2.16	10
2000s	1.81	1.76	1.93	10
2010s	1.82	1.77	1.86	6

Countries ranked near Japan

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Japan

Spring temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.1053 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month -0.7172 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 1.9 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 0.5865 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 118.04 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Japan?: State capacity index in Japan was 1.77 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Japan?: The highest recorded value was 2.16 in 1989.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Japan?: The lowest recorded value was 1.53 in 1966.
How does Japan rank for state capacity index?: Japan ranks 19th out of 165 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Japan?: Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?: The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: State Capacity Index
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.