Japan vs Republic of Korea: Duration of compulsory education
Japan
9 years
in 2025
Republic of Korea
9 years
in 2025
Japan rank
115th
Republic of Korea rank
115th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 9 years against 9 years in Republic of 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 Republic of Korea ranks 115th of 200 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Republic of 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 duration of compulsory education, Japan or Republic of Korea?
- Japan, at 9 years against 9 years in Republic of Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 0 years, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- Japan ranks 115th and Republic of Korea ranks 115th of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Duration of compulsory education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release