Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper both in Japan
Japan: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper both was 85.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan is 85.2%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan peaked at 85.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 1970.
Japan ranks 18th of 142 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper both in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.6% | — |
| 1980 | 54.0% | +40.0% |
| 1990 | 65.6% | +21.5% |
| 2010 | 80.3% | +22.4% |
| 2020 | 85.2% | +6.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 85.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 79.5%, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Japan's 85.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 57.7%, 1.5× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.6% | 38.6% | 38.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 54.0% | 54.0% | 54.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 65.6% | 65.6% | 65.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 80.3% | 80.3% | 80.3% | 1 |
| 2020s | 85.2% | 85.2% | 85.2% | 1 |
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 educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan?
- Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Japan was 85.2% 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 85.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 1970.
- How does Japan rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
- Japan ranks 18th out of 142 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 6.0%. 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release