Japan vs South Africa: School age population, one year before the official primary entry
Japan
468,140
in 2025
South Africa
559,892
in 2025
Japan rank
29th
South Africa rank
26th
School age population, one year before the official primary entry over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 559,892 against 468,140 in Japan, a difference of 91,752.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 222 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 605,971 | 504,931 | 101,040 | Japan |
| 2010s | 543,889 | 544,593 | 704.1 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 496,704 | 534,474 | 37,769 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, one year before the official primary entry, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 559,892 against 468,140 in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, one year before the official primary entry between Japan and South Africa?
- 91,752, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 222 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, male (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release