Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Japan: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes

Iran, Islamic Republic of
3.34 million
in 2022
Japan
3.88 million
in 2023
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
14th
Japan rank
11th

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Japan
01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M197119972023

How they compare

Japan currently reports 3.88 million against 3.34 million in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 541,140.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times Iran, Islamic Republic of's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 20 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Japan ahead.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 14th and Japan ranks 11th of 200 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran, Islamic Republic of Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 125,970 2.12 million 1.99 million Japan
1990s 1.11 million 3.93 million 2.82 million Japan
2010s 4.18 million 3.86 million 323,077 Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s 3.20 million 3.89 million 686,600 Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Iran, Islamic Republic of or Japan?
Japan, at 3.88 million against 3.34 million in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2023.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan?
541,140, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan?
20 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2022.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 14th and Japan ranks 11th of 200 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Japan: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
421 places, 18,321 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release