Japan vs Russian Federation: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes

Japan
3.88 million
in 2023
Russian Federation
4.52 million
in 2024
Japan rank
11th
Russian Federation rank
9th

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

  • Japan
  • Russian Federation
2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M197019972024

How they compare

Russian Federation currently reports 4.52 million against 3.88 million in Japan, a difference of 640,880.

That makes Russian Federation's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.

Across all 37 years both countries report, Russian Federation has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 11th and Russian Federation ranks 9th of 200 countries.

Russian Federation has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Russian Federation Difference Ahead
1970s 2.15 million 5.49 million 3.34 million Russian Federation
1980s 2.43 million 5.51 million 3.08 million Russian Federation
1990s 3.43 million 5.06 million 1.62 million Russian Federation
2010s 3.86 million 6.38 million 2.52 million Russian Federation
2020s 3.88 million 4.01 million 125,640 Russian Federation

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Japan or Russian Federation?
Russian Federation, at 4.52 million against 3.88 million in Japan as of 2024.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Japan and Russian Federation?
640,880, with Russian Federation ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Russian Federation?
37 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2023.
How do Japan and Russian Federation rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Japan ranks 11th and Russian Federation ranks 9th 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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Japan vs Russian Federation: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/japan/russian-federation/

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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