Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan
Japan: Share of the population with completed tertiary education was 47.2 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan stood at 47.2. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
That represents a change of up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan peaked at 47.2 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1870.
Japan ranks 8th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0 | — |
| 1875 | 0 | — |
| 1880 | 0 | — |
| 1885 | 0 | — |
| 1890 | 0.1 | — |
| 1895 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.3 | +200.0% |
| 1915 | 0.6 | +100.0% |
| 1920 | 0.9 | +50.0% |
| 1925 | 1.5 | +66.7% |
| 1930 | 2 | +33.3% |
| 1935 | 2.7 | +35.0% |
| 1940 | 3.3 | +22.2% |
| 1945 | 4.2 | +27.3% |
| 1950 | 4.9 | +16.7% |
| 1955 | 5.9 | +20.4% |
| 1960 | 6.8 | +15.3% |
| 1965 | 6.2 | -8.8% |
| 1970 | 6.1 | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 11.9 | +95.1% |
| 1980 | 15.9 | +33.6% |
| 1985 | 20.1 | +26.4% |
| 1990 | 24.3 | +20.9% |
| 1995 | 27.6 | +13.6% |
| 2000 | 32.2 | +16.7% |
| 2005 | 36.6 | +13.7% |
| 2010 | 41 | +12.0% |
| 2015 | 43.8 | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 47.2 | +7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.45 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.35 | 2 | 2.7 | 2 |
| 1940s | 3.75 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 2 |
| 1950s | 5.4 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2 |
| 1960s | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 2 |
| 1970s | 9 | 6.1 | 11.9 | 2 |
| 1980s | 18 | 15.9 | 20.1 | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.95 | 24.3 | 27.6 | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.4 | 32.2 | 36.6 | 2 |
| 2010s | 42.4 | 41 | 43.8 | 2 |
| 2020s | 47.2 | 47.2 | 47.2 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 440,864 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 58.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 11.2% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 101.13 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 101.1% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan?
- Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Japan was 47.2 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 47.2 in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1870.
- How does Japan rank for share of the population with completed tertiary education?
- Japan ranks 8th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with completed tertiary education rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with completed tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).