Afghanistan vs Japan: Primary education, pupils

Afghanistan
7.51 million
in 2023
Japan
6.25 million
in 2023
Afghanistan rank
22nd
Japan rank
23rd

Primary education, pupils over time

  • Afghanistan
  • Japan
02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M197019962023

How they compare

Afghanistan currently reports 7.51 million against 6.25 million in Japan, a difference of 1.26 million.

That makes Afghanistan's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Japan ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 22nd and Japan ranks 23rd of 206 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Afghanistan Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 680,733 10.11 million 9.43 million Japan
1980s 632,856 11.22 million 10.59 million Japan
1990s 918,931 8.70 million 7.78 million Japan
2010s 6.33 million 6.61 million 275,041 Japan
2020s 7.51 million 6.25 million 1.26 million Afghanistan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher primary education, pupils, Afghanistan or Japan?
Afghanistan, at 7.51 million against 6.25 million in Japan as of 2023.
What is the difference in primary education, pupils between Afghanistan and Japan?
1.26 million, with Afghanistan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Japan?
31 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2023.
How do Afghanistan and Japan rank globally for primary education, pupils?
Afghanistan ranks 22nd and Japan ranks 23rd of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Primary education, pupils. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs Japan: Primary education, pupils. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/primary-education-pupils/afghanistan/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.