Politics and governmentPopulation and FamilyEconomy and industryWorkEducation and mediaScience and technologyEnvironment and energyInternational relationsSecurityHealthFoodLeisure and SportsLife World\nMajor advanced countries\nNordic and major advanced countries\nOECD members\nEU+Japan\nASIA\nTPP\n

Australia\nAustria\nBelgium\nCanada\nChile\nColombia\nCosta Rica\nCzech Republic\nDenmark\nEstonia\nFinland\nFrance\nGermany\nGreece\nHungary\nIceland\nIreland\nIsrael\nItaly\nJapan\nRepublic of Korea\nLatvia\nLithuania\nLuxembourg\nMexico\nNetherlands\nNew Zealand\nNorway\nPoland\nPortugal\nSlovakia\nSlovenia\nSpain\nSweden\nSwitzerland\nTurkiye\nUnited Kingdom\nUnited States\n Choose a country to compare\n----------\nAustralia\nAustria\nBelgium\nCanada\nChile\nColombia\nCosta Rica\nCzech Republic\nDenmark\nEstonia\nFinland\nFrance\nGermany\nGreece\nHungary\nIceland\nIreland\nIsrael\nItaly\nJapan\nRepublic of Korea\nLatvia\nLithuania\nLuxembourg\nMexico\nNetherlands\nNew Zealand\nNorway\nPoland\nPortugal\nSlovakia\nSlovenia\nSpain\nSweden\nSwitzerland\nTurkiye\nUnited Kingdom\nUnited States\n

All rankings including Japan\nRankings in which Japan is Top\nRankings in which Japan is Top 1-3\nRankings in which Japan is Bottom 1-3\nRankings in which Japan is Bottom\nRankings in which Japan is either Top or Bottom\nRankings in which Japan is either Top3 or Bottom3\n

Election and Democracy Japan Voter turnout in the national election 56.0% (As of March 1, 2022) [30/38countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, always to vote in elections 5.53 (2014) [18/26countries] % of those who think that the last national election was honest regarding the counting and reporting of the votes 66.4% (2014) [18/26countries] % of those who think that the last national election was fair regarding the opportunities of the candidates and parties to campaign 46.3% (2014) [19/26countries] % of those who think that referendums are a good way to decide important political questions 61.2% (2014) [17/26countries] % of those who are proud of their country in the way democracy works 71.5% (2013) [8/26countries] % of those who think that giving people more say is the most important aim of the country out of maintaining national order/ giving people more say/ fighting rising prices/ protecting freedom of speech 43.9% (2010) [2/25countries] % of those who think that protecting freedom of speech is the most important aim of the country out of maintaining national order/ giving people more say/ fighting rising prices/ protecting freedom of speech 3.6% (2010) [24/25countries] Extent to which people think democracy works well in their country today 5.24 (2014) [16/26countries] Extent to which people think democracy worked well in their country 10 years ago 5.33 (2014) [18/26countries] Extent to which people think democracy will work well in their country 10 years from now 4.82 (2014) [21/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that all citizens have an adequate standard of living 5.97 (2014) [24/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that government authorities respect and protect the rights of minorities 4.59 (2014) [26/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that people be given more opportunities to participate in public decision-making 5.34 (2014) [25/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that citizens may engage in acts of civil disobedience when they oppose government actions 4.43 (2014) [17/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that governments respect democratic rights whatever the circumstances 5.66 (2014) [24/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that people convicted of serious crimes lose their citizen rights 4.94 (2014) [15/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that long-term residents of a country, who are not citizens, have the right to vote in that country�fs national elections 4.59 (2014) [6/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that citizens have the right not to vote 3.61 (2014) [26/26countries] Extent to which people think it important that health care be provided for everyone 6.43 (2014) [18/26countries] Politician Japan Number of total seats in the Parliament 713 (2021) [4/38countries] Inhabitants per parliamentarian 179,488 (2021) [3/38countries] % of women in parliament 10 (2021) [37/37countries] % of MPs 40 years of age or younger 8 (2021) [35/37countries] Women in ministerial positions (% of all ministers) 10.0% (2021) [37/38countries] Average age of cabinet members 62.40 (2018) [1/35countries] % of those who trust politicians 9.3% (2014) [25/26countries] % of those who think that most politicians are in politics only for what they can get out of it personally 62.0% (2010) [13/25countries] % of those who think that many politicians are involved in corruption 36.2% (2016) [14/25countries] % of those who think that most politicians are in politics only for their own interest 52.9% (2014) [11/26countries] Political party and organization Japan % of those who think that political parties encourage people to become active in politics 18.4% (2014) [24/26countries] % of those who think that political parties do not give voters real policy choices 53.4% (2014) [7/26countries] % of those who belong to a political party 5.4% (2014) [17/26countries] % of those who think that people who vote for the party/the parties in government have the most influence on the actions of the government 18.3% (2016) [4/25countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, to be active in social or political associations 3.82 (2014) [18/26countries] Parliament Japan % of those who have confidence in parliament 34.1% (2018) [23/24countries] % of those who think that MPs try to keep the promises they have made during the election 10.2% (2016) [22/25countries] % of those who think that the parliament considers your action if you take action against an unjust or harmful law 6.2% (2014) [25/26countries] Political awareness Japan % of those interested in politics (5 choices) 68.0% (2016) [15/24countries] % of those interested in politics (4 choices) 63.3% (2014) [4/26countries] % of those who think that their political position is left 4.1% (2014) [26/26countries] % of those who think that their political position is center 63.2% (2014) [2/26countries] % of those who think that their political position is right 14.5% (2014) [19/26countries] Average of political position 5.51 (2014) [5/26countries] % of those who often or sometimes discuss political matters with friends, relatives or fellow workers 44.8% (2014) [17/26countries] % of those who read the political content of a newspaper every day 37.8% (2014) [4/18countries] % of those who never read the political content of a newspaper 28.1% (2014) [9/18countries] % of those who use the media to obtain political news or information every day 62.0% (2014) [22/26countries] % of those who never use the media to obtain political news or information 4.5% (2014) [11/26countries] % of those who watch political news on television every day 60.5% (2014) [4/18countries] % of those who never watch political news on television 7.0% (2014) [9/18countries] % of those who listen to political news on the radio every day 15.3% (2014) [15/18countries] % of those who never listen to political news on the radio 63.5% (2014) [3/18countries] % of those who use the Internet to obtain political news or information every day 19.3% (2014) [12/17countries] % of those who never use the Internet to obtain political news or information 57.5% (2014) [4/17countries] % of those who have expressed political views on the internet 1.9% (2014) [26/26countries] % of those who often or sometimes try to persuade your friends, relatives or fellow workers to share their political opinion 14.4% (2014) [26/26countries] % of young people (-29) who often or sometimes discuss political matters with friends, relatives or fellow workers 28.1% (2014) [24/26countries] % of those who think that others are better informed about politics and government 24.0% (2014) [17/26countries] % of those who think that they understand political issues of the country 17.8% (2016) [25/25countries] % of those who think that ordinary citizens have no political voice [OECD survey] 49.8% (2011-2017) [12/27countries] % of those who think that ordinary citizens have no political voice [ISSP survey] 9.4% (2017) [21/21countries] % of those who think that citizens in general has the most influence on the actions of the government 6.9% (2016) [15/25countries] % of those who do not think that the government cares much what people like them think 65.9% (2014) [7/26countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, to keep watch on the actions of government 5.53 (2014) [11/26countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, to try to understand the reasoning of people with other opinions 5.28 (2014) [22/26countries] Political action Japan % of those who would take action when the parliament considers an unjust or harmful law 20.8% (2014) [23/26countries] % of those who have attempted to contact a politician or a civil servant to express their views 4.6% (2014) [25/26countries] % of those who have donated money or raised funds for a social or political activity 25.5% (2014) [19/26countries] % of those who have signed a petition 42.6% (2014) [18/26countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, to choose products for political, ethical or environmental reasons, even if they cost a bit more 4.33 (2014) [19/26countries] % of those who take part in activities of political parties, political groups or associations once a month or more 0.9% (2017) [21/21countries] % of those who never take part in activities of political parties, political groups or associations 92.1% (2017) [2/21countries] % of those who have attended a political meeting 10.7% (2014) [23/26countries] % of those who think that it should be allowed to organise public meetings to protest against the government 87.4% (2016) [13/25countries] % of those who have attended demonstrations 7.1% (2014) [24/26countries] % of those who think that it should be allowed to organise protest marches and demonstrations 78.4% (2016) [16/25countries] % of those who think that people who want to overthrow the government by revolution should be allowed to hold public meetings 67.5% (2016) [5/25countries] % of those who think that people who want to overthrow the government by force should be allowed to hold public meetings 4.7% (2014) [25/26countries] % of those who think that people who want to overthrow the government by revolution should be allowed to publish books expressing their views 77.2% (2016) [4/25countries] Public officials Japan Employment in general government as % of total employment 5.89% (2017) [33/33countries] % of central government employees aged 55 years or older 17.82% (2020) [32/36countries] % of those who trust in civil servants 17.3% (2016) [19/25countries] % of those who think that the public service is committed to serve the people 24.6% (2014) [25/25countries] Evaluation of control of corruption 1.475 (2019) [17/38countries] % of those who think that few public officials are involved in corruption 35.3% (2014) [12/26countries] % of those who think that many public officials are involved in corruption 18.9% (2016) [17/25countries] % of those who say that they or their family have never come across a public official who hinted/ wanted a bribe in the last five years 87.1% (2016) [12/25countries] % of those who turn to family members or close friends first to help them with administrative problems or official paperwork 60.7% (2017) [5/21countries] % of those who turn to private companies first to help them with administrative problems or official paperwork 2.9% (2017) [17/21countries] % of those who turn to public services first to help them with administrative problems or official paperwork 32.0% (2017) [3/21countries] Public finance Japan General government expenditures as % of GDP 43.2% (2021) [23/38countries] General government primary net lending/borrowing as % of GDP -7.62% (2021) [33/38countries] General government gross debt as % of GDP 263% (2021) [1/38countries] % of those who are in favour of cuts in government spending 74.1% (2016) [7/25countries] General government expenditures for General public services, as % of GDP 3.8% (2020) [27/30countries] General government expenditures for Defence, as % of GDP 0.9% (2020) [22/30countries] General government expenditures for Public order and safety, as % of GDP 1.3% (2020) [25/30countries] General government expenditures for economic affairs, as % of GDP 8.8% (2020) [6/30countries] General government expenditures for Environment protection, as % of GDP 1.3% (2020) [4/30countries] General government expenditures for Housing and community amenities, as % of GDP 0.7% (2020) [6/30countries] General government expenditures for Health, as % of GDP 8.6% (2020) [9/30countries] General government expenditures for Recreation, culture and religion, as % of GDP 0.4% (2020) [29/30countries] General government expenditures for Education, as % of GDP 3.6% (2020) [29/30countries] General government expenditures for Social protection, as % of GDP 17.8% (2020) [16/30countries] Tax Japan General government revenues as % of GDP 35.5% (2021) [28/38countries] Value Added Tax/ General Sales Tax - Rates 10.0% (2021) [31/35countries] Corporate income tax rate (central + sub-central) 29.74% (2021) [7/38countries] Taxes on income, profits and capital gains, % of GDP 9.7% (2019) [22/38countries] Social security contributions, % of GDP 12.9% (2019) [11/38countries] Taxes on property, % of GDP 2.6% (2019) [11/38countries] Taxes on goods and services, % of GDP 6.2% (2019) [35/38countries] % of those who think that taxes are too high for those with high incomes 17.9% (2016) [13/25countries] % of those who think that taxes are too low for those with high incomes 57.5% (2016) [7/25countries] % of those who think that people with high incomes should pay a larger % of their income in taxes than those with low incomes 88.0% (2009) [2/28countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, never to try to evade taxes 6.42 (2014) [5/26countries] % of those who think that the tax authorities always/ often make sure people pay their taxes 67.5% (2016) [19/25countries] % of those who think that the tax authorities always/ often treat everyone in accordance with the law, regardless of their contacts or position in society 54.7% (2016) [9/25countries] Social security Japan % of those who are proud of their country in its social security system 56.2% (2013) [12/26countries] % of those who think that the social benefits in their country make people lazy 21.5% (2017) [21/21countries] % of those who would like to see more government spending in old age pensions 46.1% (2016) [22/25countries] % of those who agree that the government is responsible for providing a decent standard of living for the old 76.3% (2016) [25/25countries] % of those who think that the government is successful in the provision of decent life for the old 25.3% (2016) [10/15countries] % of those who think that the government should primarily provide care for older people 64.1% (2017) [15/21countries] % of those who think that private companies should primarily provide care for older people 15.7% (2017) [1/21countries] % of those who think that family, relatives or friends should primarily provide care for older people 14.2% (2017) [12/21countries] % of those who think "government agencies should primarily provide help in everyday life for elderly people 20.5% (2012) [24/27countries] % of those who think that the government/public funds should primarily cover the costs of the help to elderly people 53.1% (2012) [20/27countries] Maternal leave benefits (% of wages) 67 (2017) [28/32countries] % of those who think that 1-6 months of paid parental leave is necessary 39.3% (2012) [9/27countries] % of those who think that 7-12 months of paid parental leave is necessary 31.8% (2012) [14/27countries] % of those who think that 13-36 months of paid parental leave is necessary 16.8% (2012) [13/27countries] % of those who think that the government should pay for parental leave 26.1% (2012) [21/27countries] % of those who think that the employer should pay for parental leave 12.4% (2012) [6/27countries] % of those who think that both the government and the employer should pay for parental leave 59.5% (2012) [7/27countries] % of those who think the employers should primarily cover the costs of childcare for children under school age 1.1% (2012) [22/27countries] % of those who think the family itself should primarily cover the costs of childcare for children under school age 60.3% (2012) [9/27countries] % of those who think the government/public funds should primarily cover the costs of childcare for children under school age 38.6% (2012) [17/27countries] % of those who think government agencies should primarily provide childcare for children under school age 11.1% (2012) [25/27countries] % of those who think that poverty is the most important issue for their country 4.8% (2010) [19/25countries] % of those who think that the government should spend less on benefits for the poor 7.4% (2009) [23/28countries] % of those who agree that the government is responsible for providing decent housing for those who can't afford it 37.6% (2016) [25/25countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, to help people in the country who are worse off than themselves 5.03 (2014) [24/26countries] Law and Justice Japan % of those who think that it is worse to convict an innocent person than to let a guilty person go free 73.9% (2016) [13/25countries] % of those who follow conscience rather than law on occasions (2 choices) 65.6% (2016) [4/25countries] Extent to which people think that it is important, in order to be a good citizen, always to obey laws and regulations 6.36 (2014) [6/26countries] Extent to which people trust the courts 6.26 (2017) [7/21countries] % of those who have confidence in the justice system (5 choices) 75.5% (2018) [10/24countries]