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

Iran, Islamic Republic of
3.62 million number
in 2018
Japan
3.86 million number
in 2018
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
11th
Japan rank
9th

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

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Japan
01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M197119942018

How they compare

Japan currently reports 3.86 million number against 3.62 million number in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 245,740 number.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times Iran, Islamic Republic of's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Japan ahead.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 11th and Japan ranks 9th of 193 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 number 2.12 million number 1.99 million number Japan
1990s 1.11 million number 3.93 million number 2.82 million number Japan
2000s 2.23 million number 3.99 million number 1.76 million number Japan
2010s 4.18 million number 3.86 million number 314,472 number Iran, Islamic Republic of

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 3.86 million number against 3.62 million number in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2018.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan?
245,740 number, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan?
28 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2018.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and Japan rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 11th and Japan ranks 9th of 193 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/iran-islamic-rep/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 8,058 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.