School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Japan
Japan: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) was 12.16 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
12.16 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
77th
of 213 countries
All-time high
12.21 years
in 2021
All-time low
12.09 years
in 2013
Years of data
11
2013–2023
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Japan, 2013–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Japan recorded 12.16 years for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Japan peaked at 12.21 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 12.09 years, in 2013.
Japan ranks 77th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Japan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.09 years | — |
| 2014 | 12.12 years | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 12.18 years | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 12.17 years | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 12.11 years | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 12.14 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 12.16 years | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 12.19 years | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 12.21 years | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 12.15 years | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 12.16 years | +0.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 12.16 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.4 years, 98% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Japan's 12.16 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.75 years, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.14 years | 12.09 years | 12.18 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.18 years | 12.15 years | 12.21 years | 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 school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Japan?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Japan was 12.16 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 12.21 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.09 years in 2013.
- How does Japan rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Japan ranks 77th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release