Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Japan
Japan: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 0.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Japan, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Japan is 0.7%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Japan peaked at 1.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1993.
That places Japan 91st out of 173 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.5% | — |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 0.4% | -15.5% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | +12.3% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | +6.3% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +168.7% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -72.7% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +40.5% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -14.9% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | +11.7% |
| 2000 | 0.5% | +18.2% |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 0.5% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | +14.7% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | +17.1% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -7.6% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | +5.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 7 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 88 Ireland 0.8% compare
- 89 British Virgin Islands 0.8% compare
- 90 Iran, Islamic Republic of 0.7% compare
- 92 Bulgaria 0.7% compare
- 93 Israel 0.7% compare
- 94 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.7% compare
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 government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Japan?
- Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Japan was 0.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 1988.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1993.
- How does Japan rank for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Japan ranks 91st out of 173 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. 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 Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release