Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan
Japan: Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school was 92.3% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan, 2013–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 92.3% for share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in 2023.
The figure is up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan peaked at 94.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 89.8%, in 2018.
That places Japan 36th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 90.6% | — |
| 2014 | 90.2% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 90.8% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 90.4% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 90.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 89.8% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 92.2% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 94.6% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 94.1% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 92.3% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 92.3% | -0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 92.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 87.1%, 1.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Japan's 92.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 68.1%, 1.4× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 90.6% | 89.8% | 92.2% | 7 |
| 2020s | 93.3% | 92.3% | 94.6% | 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 share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan?
- Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Japan was 92.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 94.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.8% in 2018.
- How does Japan rank for share of children enrolled in pre-primary school?
- Japan ranks 36th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children enrolled in pre-primary school rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of pre-primary school age (typically 3–5 years old) who are enrolled in pre-primary education.