Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan
Japan: Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary was 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan, 2013–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of students in the same subgroup.
Analysis
In 2024, share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan stood at 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan peaked at 34.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup in 2015 and was at its lowest, 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup, in 2024.
That places Japan 5th out of 22 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan, year by year
| Year | Percentage of students in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 34.37 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | — |
| 2014 | 34.26 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 34.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 34.69 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 34.43 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 34.22 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 32.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 32.51 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 32.17 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 32.14 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 31.42 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 34.25 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 32.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 34.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 7 |
| 2020s | 31.6 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 32.51 Percentage of students in the same subgroup | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 2 Latvia 31.11 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 2 Spain 45.01 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Chile 41.86 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Slovenia 19.12 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 4 United States of America 40.17 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 5 Netherlands 4.9 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 6 New Zealand 25.44 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 6 Poland 0.0565 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 7 Israel 25.35 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 22.43 Percentage of students in the same subgroup compare
More education data for Japan
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan?
- Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary in Japan was 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 34.89 Percentage of students in the same subgroup in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.77 Percentage of students in the same subgroup in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary?
- Japan ranks 5th out of 22 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This dataset contains data on the share of new entrants to and first-time graduates at tertiary education. The default table displays tertiary new entrants and graduates data for the latest available year. The selection can be changed to display data: by year, sex and mobility status. Data correspond to the concept of first-time tertiary, i.e. person who has enter (new entrants) or successfully completed (graduates) an education programme at the tertiary level for the first time. The student may have entered / completed the programme at either ISCED level 5 (short-cyle tertiary) , 6 (bachelor) or 7 (master long first degree). Data for the latest available year are preliminary. Final data will be released on 29 September 2026. For more information, please consult the Education at a Glance web page and the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics: Concepts, Standards, Definitions and Classifications.