Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan
Japan: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 721,558 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Japan recorded 721,558 for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.3% on the previous year and down 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan peaked at 1.16 million in 1998 and was at its lowest, 721,558, in 2023.
Japan ranks 6th of 149 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.16 million | — |
| 1999 | 1.11 million | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 765,659 | -30.8% |
| 2014 | 773,740 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 772,269 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 769,009 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 764,637 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 758,779 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 752,733 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 755,472 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 755,822 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 754,097 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 721,558 | -4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.13 million | 1.11 million | 1.16 million | 2 |
| 2010s | 765,261 | 752,733 | 773,740 | 7 |
| 2020s | 746,737 | 721,558 | 755,822 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 440,864 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 58.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 11.2% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 101.13 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 101.1% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Japan was 721,558 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 million in 1998.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 721,558 in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
- Japan ranks 6th out of 149 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.8%. 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 tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release