Japan
Japan
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Country reports and publications 
Japan
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
| Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Japan | Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan [MEXT]) |
Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.
The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries.
The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD
and partner countries.
Find out more about the methodology here.
Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom:
Sort by:
Attainment by gender
The proportion of 45-54 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.5 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Entrance
The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the smallest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (51 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering bachelor's programmes in Japan is relatively small. (46 %, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (32.8 %, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the average age of new entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.5 Years, rank 40/40 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the average age of new entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.8 Years, rank 26/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the proportion of new female entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (52.2 %, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of new entrants in tertiary education in Japan is comparatively young. (18.4 Years, rank 34/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the average age of new entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.5 Years, rank 39/40 , 2023) Download Indicator
The proportion of women among the new entrants in master's programmes in Japan is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (35.8 %, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of first-time entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.4 %, rank 21/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
Entrance by field of education and gender
The share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest in Japan compared to other countries. (32.4 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in social sciences, journalism and information was among the smallest internationally. (50.2 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female new entrants in doctoral programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary ranked among the smallest across countries. (35.9 %, rank 34/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest internationally. (34.6 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In social sciences, journalism and information, female new entrants to doctoral programmes placed Japan among the smallest internationally. (45.4 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female new entrants in master’s programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary was among the smallest in Japan compared to other countries. (45.3 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female new entrants to master’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest across countries. (34 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In social sciences, journalism and information, female new entrants to master’s programmes were among the smallest across countries with available data. (44.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female new entrants in tertiary education in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary placed Japan among the smallest internationally. (44.6 %, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In STEM fields, the share of female new entrants to tertiary education ranked Japan among the smallest internationally. (18.1 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.1 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (37.1 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.3 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.5 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (66.7 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of education is relatively small. (45.2 %, rank 35/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively small. (21.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Japan is relatively small. (17.5 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (34.8 %, rank 35/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59.6 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.3 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.8 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.5 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (19.1 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (49.6 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (14.6 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in health and welfare in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (52.7 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (24.9 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Japan is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (16.9 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (38.3 %, rank 22/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (34.2 %, rank 21/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
Participation in education
The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Japan is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (98 %, rank 5/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.9 %, rank 41/45 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in independent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (79.1 %, rank 2/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
Enrolment of students aged 15–19 in lower secondary programmes placed Japan among the lowest internationally. (0 %, rank 45/46 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (81 %, rank 3/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (80.8 %, rank 3/45 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Japan is relatively low compared to the other countries. (16 %, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education in Japan is relatively low compared to the other countries. (1.2 %, rank 27/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of below-two year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Japan is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31.9 %, rank 2/12 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of two-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Japan is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (63.6 %, rank 2/13 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation
In Japan, the average age of first-time tertiary graduates is relatively low. (22.1 Years, rank 31/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of first-time master's graduates is relatively low in Japan. (2.5 %, rank 21/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of bachelor's or equivalent graduates in Japan is among the youngest. (22.6 Years, rank 31/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of master's or equivalent graduates in Japan is among the youngest. (25.1 Years, rank 19/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by gender
Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Japan has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (51.7 %, rank 31/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female first-time bachelor's graduates is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (47.1 %, rank 33/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female first-time master's graduates is relatively smallest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (49.3 %, rank 23/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.7 %, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.7 %, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of sciences, journalism and information in Japan is relatively small. (3.3 %, rank 44/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law in Japan is relatively small. (3.6 %, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Japan is relatively large. (40.8 %, rank 2/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 1/45 , 2022) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education and gender
The proportion of female tertiary graduates in the humanities and arts is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries. (21 %, rank 2/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The proportion of female tertiary graduates in social sciences, business and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (15.3 %, rank 43/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8 %, rank 44/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (49.8 %, rank 44/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (47.6 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (37.8 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (27.6 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (18.1 %, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (16.5 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (43.1 %, rank 39/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (68 %, rank 41/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
Fields of education
In Japan, new entrants to doctoral programmes in STEM were among the smallest across countries. (30.1 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of new entrants to tertiary education in STEM fields ranked among the smallest across countries with available data. (21 %, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (44.3 %, rank 1/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively low. (10.7 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the proportion of new entrants in education master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the proportion of new entrants in business, administration and law master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.7 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of new entrants in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics bachelor's programmes is relatively low in Japan among countries with available data. (19 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility
The percentage of international students entering bachelor's programmes is relatively low. (1.9 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, international or foreign students from Asia are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (94.3 %, rank 2/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, international or foreign students from Europe are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility by field of education
In Japan, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.9 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
Expenditure in education and national wealth
In Japan, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Japan, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0.5 %, rank 40/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
Government and private expenditure in education
The share of private expenditure on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (62.5 %, rank 3/40 , 2022) Download Indicator
The share of public expenditure on tertiary educational institutions is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.6 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
Japan has one of the largest shares of private expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (26.7 %, rank 5/39 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Japan, total public expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (3 %, rank 38/40 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Japan, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on tertiary education is relatively low. (0 %, rank 28/31 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Japan, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on primary to tertiary education is relatively low. (0 %, rank 28/30 , 2022) Download Indicator
The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively small in Japan. (37.5 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively small. (73.3 %, rank 36/40 , 2022) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The share of teachers aged between 30 and 39 in secondary schools is especially small. (23.3 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (63.1 %, rank 41/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (43.5 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.3 %, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education (bachelor's, master's, doctorate or equivalent education) is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (25.8 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.8 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.4 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers younger than 30 is especially high. (18.9 %, rank 2/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers younger than 30 in primary education is especially low in Japan. (61.9 %, rank 38/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Japan. (44 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
Females under 30 represent a small proportion of teachers in upper secondary education in Japan. (37.1 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
Females aged 50 or more represent a small proportion of teachers in primary education in Japan. (68.1 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Japan. (44.9 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in upper secondary education is especially low in Japan. (28 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in tertiary education is especially low in Japan. (28.4 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (49.7 %, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (1.6 %, rank 30/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (2.5 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (34.8 %, rank 35/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (23.6 %, rank 35/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of teachers aged 50 or more in pre-primary education is especially low in Japan (14.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of teachers under 30 in pre-primary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (44.5 %, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Japan, the percentage of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.4 %, rank 34/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
In Japan, the change in statutory primary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (93 Index, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
The change in statutory pre-primary teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in their careers is comparatively small in Japan. (93 Index, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries progression
It takes lower secondary teachers longer to progress through the salary scale in Japan compared to other OECD and partner countries. (36 Years, rank 5/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
Ratio of student to teaching staff
In Japan, the share of teachers' aides among contact staff in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.2 Ratio, rank 15/18 , 2023) Download Indicator
Organisation of the education system
Classes are particularly large in primary schools. (27 Students, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
Classes in public primary institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (27 Students, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
Classes in in private primary institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (28 Students, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (32 Students, rank 1/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (33 Students, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the largest in Japan among OECD and partner countries with available data. (33 Students, rank 1/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Employment by gender and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively high. (94.2 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment by gender and educational attainment
The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old women with tertiary education is compartively low in Japan. (1.1 %, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity by gender and educational attainment
In Japan, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low. (3.9 %, rank 37/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
The data table will display up to six selected countries.
General findings
- Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
- Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
- Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
- Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
- Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
- Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
| Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes |
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- Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
- NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
- Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
- Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
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- Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
- Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
- The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
- Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
- Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
- Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
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- Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
- Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
- Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
- Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
- Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
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- Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
- Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
- The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
- Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
- Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
- The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
- Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
- The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
| Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) |
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Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities,
such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
for each publication.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.