Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan

Japan: Population of the official entrance age to secondary general was 1.06 million in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
1.06 million
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
25th
of 220 countries
All-time high
1.35 million
in 2001
All-time low
1.06 million
in 2025
Years of data
25
2001–2025

Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan, 2001–2025

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2001201320252001: 1.4M2002: 1.3M2003: 1.3M2004: 1.2M2005: 1.2M2006: 1.2M2007: 1.2M2008: 1.2M2009: 1.2M2010: 1.2M2011: 1.2M2012: 1.2M2013: 1.2M2014: 1.2M2015: 1.2M2016: 1.2M2017: 1.1M2018: 1.1M2019: 1.1M2020: 1.1M2021: 1.1M2022: 1.1M2023: 1.1M2024: 1.1M2025: 1.1M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2025, population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan stood at 1.06 million. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan peaked at 1.35 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.06 million, in 2025.

That places Japan 25th out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Population of the official entrance age to secondary general education, both sexes (number) in Japan, 2001 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2001 1.35 million
2002 1.31 million -2.8%
2003 1.26 million -3.9%
2004 1.24 million -1.7%
2005 1.21 million -2.3%
2006 1.21 million -0.1%
2007 1.19 million -1.9%
2008 1.21 million +1.8%
2009 1.21 million -0.1%
2010 1.18 million -1.9%
2011 1.19 million +0.3%
2012 1.20 million +0.8%
2013 1.18 million -1.6%
2014 1.18 million -0.2%
2015 1.17 million -1.0%
2016 1.15 million -1.3%
2017 1.12 million -2.4%
2018 1.10 million -1.7%
2019 1.07 million -3.4%
2020 1.07 million -0.1%
2021 1.07 million +0.8%
2022 1.09 million +1.3%
2023 1.07 million -1.8%
2024 1.06 million -0.4%
2025 1.06 million -0.8%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 1.06 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 44,461, 23.7× the median. (79 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 1.06 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 44,461, 23.7× the median. (35 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.24 million 1.19 million 1.35 million 9
2010s 1.15 million 1.07 million 1.20 million 10
2020s 1.07 million 1.06 million 1.09 million 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 22 Iraq 1.17 million compare
  2. 23 South Africa 1.08 million compare
  3. 24 Afghanistan 1.07 million compare
  4. 26 Angola 987,828 compare
  5. 27 Algeria 951,682 compare
  6. 28 Yemen 942,407 compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More education data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan?
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan was 1.06 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of the official entrance age to secondary general recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 1.35 million in 2001.
What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to secondary general recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 1.06 million in 2025.
How does Japan rank for population of the official entrance age to secondary general?
Japan ranks 25th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
Is population of the official entrance age to secondary general rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to secondary general education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of the official entrance age to secondary general in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-the-official-entrance-age-to-secondary-general-education-both-sexes-number-2/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general education, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
220 places, 10,166 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release