Japan vs South Korea: Compulsory education, duration (years)
Japan
9 years
in 2025
South Korea
9 years
in 2025
Japan rank
115th
South Korea rank
115th
Compulsory education, duration (years) over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 9 years against 9 years in South Korea, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 115th and South Korea ranks 115th of 197 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 years | 6 years | 3 years | Japan |
| 2000s | 9 years | 8.1 years | 0.9 years | Japan |
| 2010s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher compulsory education, duration, Japan or South Korea?
- Japan, at 9 years against 9 years in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in compulsory education, duration between Japan and South Korea?
- 0 years, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for compulsory education, duration?
- Japan ranks 115th and South Korea ranks 115th of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Compulsory education, duration (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.