Japan vs Russia: Primary education, pupils

Japan
6.25 million
in 2023
Russia
7.55 million
in 2023
Japan rank
23rd
Russia rank
20th

Primary education, pupils over time

  • Japan
  • Russia
02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M197119972023

How they compare

Russia currently reports 7.55 million against 6.25 million in Japan, a difference of 1.31 million.

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

The two have swapped places 1 time across 40 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 23rd and Russia ranks 20th of 206 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Russia Difference Ahead
1970s 10.23 million 6.26 million 3.96 million Japan
1980s 11.23 million 6.47 million 4.76 million Japan
1990s 8.65 million 7.55 million 1.10 million Japan
2010s 6.61 million 6.31 million 298,077 Japan
2020s 6.34 million 7.49 million 1.15 million Russia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher primary education, pupils, Japan or Russia?
Russia, at 7.55 million against 6.25 million in Japan as of 2023.
What is the difference in primary education, pupils between Japan and Russia?
1.31 million, with Russia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Russia?
40 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2023.
How do Japan and Russia rank globally for primary education, pupils?
Japan ranks 23rd and Russia ranks 20th 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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Japan vs Russia: 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/japan/russian-federation/

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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.