Education spending in Japan
Japan: Education spending was 3.34 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Education spending in Japan, 1870–2021
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Japan recorded 3.34 for education spending in 2021.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, education spending in Japan peaked at 5.49 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1870.
Japan ranks 133rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Education spending in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1 | — |
| 1913 | 1.6 | +60.0% |
| 1937 | 2.1 | +31.2% |
| 1960 | 4.1 | +95.2% |
| 1971 | 3.58 | -12.7% |
| 1972 | 3.93 | +9.7% |
| 1973 | 3.96 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 3.95 | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 4.57 | +15.6% |
| 1976 | 4.75 | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 4.74 | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 4.79 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 4.95 | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 4.96 | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 4.96 | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 4.94 | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 4.72 | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 5.49 | +16.2% |
| 1988 | 5.45 | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 5.27 | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 3.37 | -36.2% |
| 1994 | 3.57 | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 3.4 | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 3.3 | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 3.38 | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 3.46 | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 3.4 | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 3.41 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 3.47 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 3.43 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 3.31 | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 3.28 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 3.28 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 3.27 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 3.6 | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 3.61 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 3.42 | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 3.41 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 3.42 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 3.31 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 3.15 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 3.13 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.08 | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 3.16 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 3.31 | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 3.34 | +0.9% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 3.34 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4, 76% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Japan's 3.34 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.25, 79% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Education spending in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | +95.2% | 2.1 | 4.1 |
| 1913 | +60.0% | 1 | 1.6 |
| 1993 | -36.2% | 5.27 | 3.37 |
| 1937 | +31.2% | 1.6 | 2.1 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1 |
| 1930s | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1 |
| 1960s | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 1 |
| 1970s | 4.36 | 3.58 | 4.95 | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.11 | 4.72 | 5.49 | 7 |
| 1990s | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.57 | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.37 | 3.27 | 3.47 | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.33 | 3.08 | 3.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.32 | 3.31 | 3.34 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.88 (2013)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.93 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 627,777 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.50 million (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (1999)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.25 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.01 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is education spending in Japan?
- Education spending in Japan was 3.34 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest education spending recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.49 in 1987.
- What is the lowest education spending recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1870.
- How does Japan rank for education spending?
- Japan ranks 133rd out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is education spending rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Education spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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