electionstracker

Japan 2003 general election

What was the result of the 2003 general election in Japan?

Liberal Democratic Party won 237 of 480 seats with 35.0% of the vote. 59.9% of registered voters cast a ballot.

  • Japan
  • Held:
  • Final result
  • ParlGov, read 5 October 2026

Which party won the most seats?

Final results from ParlGov, read : Liberal Democratic Party won 237 of 480 seats with 35.0% of the vote; 59.9% of registered voters cast a ballot, down 2.6 points on 2000.

  • Democratic Party of Japan 177 +50 seats 37.4% +12.2 points
  • Liberal Democratic Party 237 +4 seats 35.0% +6.7 points
  • Komeito 34 +3 seats 14.8% +1.8 points
  • Japanese Communist Party 9 −11 seats 7.8% −3.4 points
  • Japan Socialist Party 6 −13 seats 5.1% −4.3 points
  • New Conservative Party 4 −3 seats
  • Independent's Club 1 −4 seats
  • Liberal League 1 0 seats
  • Seats won
  • Change on the previous election at the right
  • Share of the vote
  • Share at the previous election
  • Change in points at the right

Changes are against the Japan 2000 general election, party by party.

241 of 480 seats make a majority

Key numbers

  1. 35.0%

    Share of the vote won by Liberal Democratic Party

    Liberal Democratic Party won 237 of 480 seats. A majority needs 241.

  2. +50 seats

    Seats gained by Democratic Party of Japan

    The largest gain in seats compared with 2000. Japan Socialist Party lost 13 seats.

  3. 59.9%

    Voter turnout

    Down 2.6 points on 2000.

Seats and votes by party

PartySeats± seats%± pointsVotes
Democratic Party of Japan177+5037.4+12.222,095,636
Liberal Democratic Party237+435.0+6.720,660,185
Komeito34+314.8+1.88,733,444
Japanese Communist Party9−117.8−3.44,586,172
Japan Socialist Party6−135.1−4.33,027,390
Independents11−4
New Conservative Party4−3
Independent's Club1−4
Liberal League10

± is the change against the Japan 2000 general election, party by party.

Votes by party
  • Democratic Party of Japan 22,095,636
  • Liberal Democratic Party 20,660,185
  • Komeito 8,733,444
  • Japanese Communist Party 4,586,172
  • Japan Socialist Party 3,027,390
  • Independents
  • New Conservative Party
  • Independent's Club
  • Liberal League

ParlGov lists parties with at least 1 percent of the vote or 2 seats, so the rows do not add up to the valid votes.

How many people voted?

59.9% of the 102,232,944 registered voters cast a ballot (61,196,418 ballots), down 2.6 points on 2000. 59,102,827 of them were valid votes.

How do the votes compare with the seats?

  • Liberal Democratic Party35.0% of votes49.4% of seats
  • Democratic Party of Japan37.4% of votes36.9% of seats
  • Komeito14.8% of votes7.1% of seats
  • Japanese Communist Party7.8% of votes1.9% of seats
  • Japan Socialist Party5.1% of votes1.3% of seats
Each party's share of the vote (outlined) and of the seats (filled)

The Gallagher index of disproportionality is 12.7 (0 when seats follow votes exactly); Democratic Party of Japan led Liberal Democratic Party by 2.4 points of the vote.

Time and source Data as of