Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Japan
Japan: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) was 1.87 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Japan, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Japan recorded 1.87 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in 2023.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Japan peaked at 1.87 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 512,759, in 1971.
Japan ranks 12th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 512,759 | — |
| 1972 | 542,281 | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 576,765 | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 620,682 | +7.6% |
| 1975 | 676,467 | +9.0% |
| 1976 | 727,256 | +7.5% |
| 1977 | 764,383 | +5.1% |
| 1978 | 793,255 | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 799,120 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 791,970 | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 791,264 | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 791,398 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 797,801 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 812,988 | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 825,911 | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 818,978 | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 865,094 | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 932,577 | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 978,784 | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 1.03 million | +5.6% |
| 1991 | 1.07 million | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 1.17 million | +9.5% |
| 1994 | 1.68 million | +43.2% |
| 1995 | 1.73 million | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 1.77 million | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 1.76 million | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.80 million | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 1.81 million | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 1.81 million | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.83 million | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.84 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.85 million | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 1.86 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.87 million | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 1.86 million | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 1.87 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 1.87 million | -0.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.87 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 97,133, 19.2× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1.87 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95,251, 19.6× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +43.2% | 1.17 million | 1.68 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 668,108 | 512,759 | 799,120 | 9 |
| 1980s | 840,676 | 791,264 | 978,784 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.46 million | 1.03 million | 1.77 million | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.83 million | 1.80 million | 1.86 million | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.87 million | 1.86 million | 1.87 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0502 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Japan?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Japan was 1.87 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.87 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 512,759 in 1971.
- How does Japan rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- Japan ranks 12th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. 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 tertiary education, all programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release