Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan

Japan: Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes was 2.70 million in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.70 million
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
14th
of 180 countries
All-time high
2.91 million
in 2013
All-time low
2.70 million
in 2023
Years of data
11
2013–2023

Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan, 2013–2023

01.0M2.0M3.0M2013201820232013: 2.9M2014: 2.9M2015: 2.9M2016: 2.9M2017: 2.9M2018: 2.8M2019: 2.8M2020: 2.9M2021: 2.8M2022: 2.8M2023: 2.7M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan is 2.70 million, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan peaked at 2.91 million in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.70 million, in 2023.

Japan ranks 14th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes (number) in Japan, 2013 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2013 2.91 million
2014 2.88 million -1.0%
2015 2.87 million -0.2%
2016 2.86 million -0.6%
2017 2.87 million +0.5%
2018 2.82 million -1.7%
2019 2.84 million +0.5%
2020 2.86 million +0.9%
2021 2.85 million -0.6%
2022 2.78 million -2.3%
2023 2.70 million -2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 2.87 million 2.82 million 2.91 million 7
2020s 2.80 million 2.70 million 2.86 million 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 11 Germany 3.57 million compare
  2. 12 Bangladesh 3.50 million compare
  3. 13 Kenya 2.89 million compare
  4. 15 Ghana 2.40 million compare
  5. 16 Uzbekistan 2.35 million compare
  6. 17 France 2.33 million compare

See the full ranking of 180 places →

More education data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan?
Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan was 2.70 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 2.91 million in 2013.
What is the lowest enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 2.70 million in 2023.
How does Japan rank for enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes?
Japan ranks 14th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-early-childhood-education-both-sexes-number-2/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
180 places, 2,994 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release