Japan vs South Korea: Average years of schooling vs. GDP per capita
Japan
12.68 years
in 2023
South Korea
12.72 years
in 2023
Japan rank
28th
South Korea rank
25th
Average years of schooling vs. GDP per capita over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 12.72 years against 12.68 years in Japan, a difference of 0.04 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 25th of 192 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.84 years | 9.9 years | 1.94 years | Japan |
| 2000s | 12.29 years | 10.96 years | 1.32 years | Japan |
| 2010s | 12.59 years | 12.08 years | 0.5179 years | Japan |
| 2020s | 12.68 years | 12.7 years | 0.0161 years | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average years of schooling vs. gdp per capita, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 12.72 years against 12.68 years in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average years of schooling vs. gdp per capita between Japan and South Korea?
- 0.04 years, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for average years of schooling vs. gdp per capita?
- Japan ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 25th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.