Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) in Japan
Japan: Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) was 6 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
6
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
21st
of 205 countries
All-time high
6
in 1998
All-time low
6
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Official entrance age to compulsory education in Japan, 1998–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Japan recorded 6 for official entrance age to compulsory education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in Japan peaked at 6 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6, in 1998.
Japan ranks 21st of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6 | — |
| 1999 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6 | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 6 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Japan's 6 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 21 Albania 6 compare
- 21 Algeria 6 compare
- 21 Andorra 6 compare
- 21 Armenia 6 compare
- 21 Australia 6 compare
- 21 Azerbaijan 6 compare
- 21 Bahrain 6 compare
- 21 Bangladesh 6 compare
- 21 Belarus 6 compare
- 21 Benin 6 compare
- 21 Bosnia and Herzegovina 6 compare
- 21 Brunei 6 compare
- 21 Burkina Faso 6 compare
- 21 Cameroon 6 compare
- 21 Canada 6 compare
- 21 Cape Verde 6 compare
- 21 Central African Republic 6 compare
- 21 Chad 6 compare
- 21 Chile 6 compare
- 21 China 6 compare
- 21 Comoros 6 compare
- 21 Congo 6 compare
- 21 Cote d'Ivoire 6 compare
- 21 Cuba 6 compare
- 21 Democratic Republic of Congo 6 compare
- 21 Denmark 6 compare
- 21 Djibouti 6 compare
- 21 East Timor 6 compare
- 21 Egypt 6 compare
- 21 Eritrea 6 compare
- 21 Eswatini 6 compare
- 21 Finland 6 compare
- 21 Gabon 6 compare
- 21 Georgia 6 compare
- 21 Germany 6 compare
- 21 Guinea-Bissau 6 compare
- 21 Guyana 6 compare
- 21 Haiti 6 compare
- 21 Hong Kong 6 compare
- 21 Iceland 6 compare
- 21 India 6 compare
- 21 Iran 6 compare
- 21 Iraq 6 compare
- 21 Ireland 6 compare
- 21 Italy 6 compare
- 21 Jamaica 6 compare
- 21 Jordan 6 compare
- 21 Kazakhstan 6 compare
- 21 Kenya 6 compare
- 21 Kiribati 6 compare
- 21 Kuwait 6 compare
- 21 Kyrgyzstan 6 compare
- 21 Laos 6 compare
- 21 Lebanon 6 compare
- 21 Lesotho 6 compare
- 21 Liberia 6 compare
- 21 Libya 6 compare
- 21 Lithuania 6 compare
- 21 Madagascar 6 compare
- 21 Malawi 6 compare
- 21 Malaysia 6 compare
- 21 Mauritania 6 compare
- 21 Micronesia (country) 6 compare
- 21 Moldova 6 compare
- 21 Monaco 6 compare
- 21 Mongolia 6 compare
- 21 Montenegro 6 compare
- 21 Morocco 6 compare
- 21 New Zealand 6 compare
- 21 Nigeria 6 compare
- 21 North Korea 6 compare
- 21 North Macedonia 6 compare
- 21 Norway 6 compare
- 21 Oman 6 compare
- 21 Palau 6 compare
- 21 Palestine 6 compare
- 21 Poland 6 compare
- 21 Portugal 6 compare
- 21 Qatar 6 compare
- 21 Rwanda 6 compare
- 21 San Marino 6 compare
- 21 Sao Tome and Principe 6 compare
- 21 Saudi Arabia 6 compare
- 21 Senegal 6 compare
- 21 Seychelles 6 compare
- 21 Sierra Leone 6 compare
- 21 Singapore 6 compare
- 21 Slovenia 6 compare
- 21 Somalia 6 compare
- 21 South Korea 6 compare
- 21 South Sudan 6 compare
- 21 Spain 6 compare
- 21 Sudan 6 compare
- 21 Sweden 6 compare
- 21 Syria 6 compare
- 21 Thailand 6 compare
- 21 Togo 6 compare
- 21 Tunisia 6 compare
- 21 Turkey 6 compare
- 21 Turkmenistan 6 compare
- 21 Tuvalu 6 compare
- 21 Uganda 6 compare
- 21 Ukraine 6 compare
- 21 United Arab Emirates 6 compare
- 21 United States 6 compare
- 21 Yemen 6 compare
- 21 Zimbabwe 6 compare
More education data for Japan
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.88 (2013)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.93 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to compulsory education in Japan?
- Official entrance age to compulsory education in Japan was 6 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 in 1998.
- How does Japan rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?
- Japan ranks 21st out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official entrance age to compulsory education rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Official entrance age to compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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