Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan
Japan: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes was 2.70 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.70 million
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
13th
of 214 countries
All-time high
2.96 million
in 1999
All-time low
1.69 million
in 1971
Years of data
40
1971–2023
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Japan recorded 2.70 million for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan peaked at 2.96 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.69 million, in 1971.
That places Japan 13th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.69 million | — |
| 1972 | 1.73 million | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 1.86 million | +7.4% |
| 1974 | 2.13 million | +14.5% |
| 1975 | 2.23 million | +4.9% |
| 1976 | 2.29 million | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 2.37 million | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 2.45 million | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 2.50 million | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 2.49 million | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 2.41 million | -3.2% |
| 1982 | 2.29 million | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 2.23 million | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 2.19 million | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 2.13 million | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 2.07 million | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 2.02 million | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 2.02 million | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 2.04 million | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 2.04 million | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 2.01 million | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 1.98 million | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 1.95 million | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.91 million | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 1.85 million | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 1.81 million | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 1.80 million | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 2.94 million | +63.4% |
| 1999 | 2.96 million | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 2.91 million | -1.8% |
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.14 million | 1.69 million | 2.50 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.19 million | 2.02 million | 2.49 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.12 million | 1.80 million | 2.96 million | 10 |
| 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
More education data for Japan
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.61 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.7827 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 440,864 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.5011 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.22 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.8205 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 3.39 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.7464 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -2.95 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Japan was 2.70 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.96 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.69 million in 1971.
- How does Japan rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Japan ranks 13th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary 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 rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release