Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan
Japan: Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational was 11.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan is 11.9%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan peaked at 20.5% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2023.
That places Japan 86th out of 213 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 20.5% | — |
| 1972 | 19.8% | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 18.6% | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 18.3% | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 17.8% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 17.2% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 16.4% | -4.7% |
| 1979 | 16.0% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 15.5% | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 16.3% | +5.1% |
| 1983 | 13.9% | -14.5% |
| 1984 | 13.6% | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 13.8% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 13.6% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 13.3% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 13.2% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 14.5% | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 14.6% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 15.6% | +6.8% |
| 1995 | 15.7% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 14.3% | -8.9% |
| 1999 | 14.1% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 13.0% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 13.0% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 12.9% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 12.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 12.2% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.2% | 16.0% | 20.5% | 9 |
| 1980s | 14.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.6% | 13.7% | 15.7% | 7 |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 12.8% | 13.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 83 Philippines 12.6% compare
- 84 Albania 12.6% compare
- 85 Andorra 12.4% compare
- 87 Mozambique 11.9% compare
- 88 Tunisia 11.8% compare
- 89 Timor-Leste 11.3% compare
More education data for Japan
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.25 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.01 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan?
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational in Japan was 11.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1971.
- What is the lowest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational?
- Japan ranks 86th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. 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 Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational programmes, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release