Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan

Japan: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or was 84.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
84.4%
World rank
21st
of 141 countries
All-time high
84.4%
in 2020
All-time low
35.6%
in 1970
Years of data
5
1970–2020

Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan, 1970–2020

0204060801970199520201970: 35.6 %1980: 51.6 %1990: 63.4 %2010: 79.1 %2020: 84.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan stood at 84.4%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan peaked at 84.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 1970.

Japan ranks 21st of 141 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 35.6% 35.6% 35.6% 1
1980s 51.6% 51.6% 51.6% 1
1990s 63.4% 63.4% 63.4% 1
2010s 79.1% 79.1% 79.1% 1
2020s 84.4% 84.4% 84.4% 1

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 18 Sweden 85.4% compare
  2. 19 Israel 85.4% compare
  3. 20 Ireland 85.1% compare
  4. 22 Puerto Rico 83.7% compare
  5. 23 Finland 83.6% compare
  6. 24 Seychelles 83.0% compare

See the full ranking of 141 places →

More education data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan?
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan was 84.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 2020.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 1970.
How does Japan rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
Japan ranks 21st out of 141 countries with data for 2020.
Is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-upper-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25-3/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
141 places, 2,292 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release