Japan vs South Africa: School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes
Japan
3.25 million
in 2025
South Africa
3.27 million
in 2025
Japan rank
22nd
South Africa rank
21st
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 3.27 million against 3.25 million in Japan, a difference of 17,290.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 21st of 220 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.07 million | 3.45 million | 620,946 | Japan |
| 2010s | 3.60 million | 3.10 million | 501,735 | Japan |
| 2020s | 3.32 million | 3.07 million | 255,750 | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 3.27 million against 3.25 million in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes between Japan and South Africa?
- 17,290, 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, upper secondary education, both sexes?
- Japan ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 21st of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (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