Japan

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Japan
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Japan, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 57.9% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 42.1% (OECD average : 39.9%).
  • Some 89.9% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 95.2% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 93.8% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%).
  • In 2023, Japan allocated an average of 7.1% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 2.7% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 21662 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Japan (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 10996 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 2.5% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%).
  • In Japan, annual typical teaching hours were 715 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 594 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 96.9% of pre-primary teaching staff in Japan (OECD average : 95.9%) and 43.5% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • Across OECD countries, the average class size in lower secondary education is 20 students students per class. Japan has one of the largest class sizes among OECD countries and economies, with 32 students students per class on average.
  • In Japan, there are 100% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Country note in Japanese | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Japan | Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan [MEXT]) |

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    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.

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    Attainment

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57.9 %, rank 4/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (67.5 %, rank 3/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.1 %, rank 2/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (17 %, rank 3/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (50.5 %, rank 1/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (64.2 %, rank 1/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.1 %, rank 3/41 , 2025) 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 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering bachelor's programmes in Japan is relatively small. (46.1 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) 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. (33.6 %, rank 42/42 , 2024) 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 39/39 , 2024) 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 23/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the proportion of new female entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (53.5 %, rank 23/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The average age of new entrants in tertiary education in Japan is comparatively young. (18.4 Years, rank 32/32 , 2024) 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 40/40 , 2024) 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. (36 %, rank 42/42 , 2024) 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. (2.5 %, rank 21/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Japan is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 43/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.7 %, rank 38/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    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. (97.5 %, rank 8/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.1 %, rank 37/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of students aged 15–19 in lower secondary programmes placed Japan among the lowest internationally. (0 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 15–19-year-olds in post-secondary non-tertiary general programmes was among the highest across participating countries. (0 %, rank 9/11 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (81.1 %, rank 4/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (80.6 %, rank 4/42 , 2024) 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 39/41 , 2024) 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. (1.1 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of below-two year-olds in early childhood education in Japan is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.8 %, rank 8/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Japan is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (46.6 %, rank 8/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Japan is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11.7 %, rank 30/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The percentage of first-time master's graduates is relatively low in Japan. (2.5 %, rank 21/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.6 %, rank 34/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Japan has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (51.8 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) 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 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of female first-time master's graduates is relatively small, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (49.1 %, rank 22/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of sciences, journalism and information in Japan is relatively small. (3.3 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law in Japan is relatively small. (3.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Japan is relatively small. (11.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in social sciences, business and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (14.6 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) 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. (8.2 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (93.8 %, rank 2/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (71.4 %, rank 3/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.3 %, rank 10/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of international students entering bachelor's programmes is relatively low. (1.9 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) 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. (4 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the proportion of international graduates among bachelor's first-time graduates is relatively low. (2.6 %, rank 25/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the proportion of international graduates among first-time master's graduates is relatively low. (13.1 %, rank 21/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 33/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 8/35 , 2024) 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 34/39 , 2024) 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. (0.9 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Adult participation in non-formal education

    Among unemployed adults aged 25-64, the share participating in non-formal education or training in Japan was among the lowest across countries with available data. (25.2 %, rank 22/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the largest across countries with available data. (56 %, rank 7/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the highest in Japan compared with other countries with available data. (32.1 %, rank 8/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment, the share reporting never having participated in non-formal education or training in Japan was among the largest across countries with available data. (18.9 %, rank 4/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Japan, government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP at primary to tertiary levels of education is comparatively low. (2.7 %, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies. (3.5 %, rank 31/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, expenditure on primary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1 %, rank 28/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1.3 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, public and private expenditure on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (2.3 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) 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. (0.4 %, rank 41/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (2.6 %, rank 39/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (1 %, rank 7/36 , 2023) 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. (64.3 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) 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 38/43 , 2023) 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. (27.4 %, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (7.1 %, rank 37/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, total public expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (2.9 %, rank 41/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on tertiary education is relatively low. (0 %, rank 28/30 , 2023) 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 29/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively small in Japan. (35.7 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively small. (72.6 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Total public expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure, for primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Japan compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.5 %, rank 37/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Japan, the share of current expenditure on primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (85.8 %, rank 32/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of current expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87.2 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of capital expenditure on primary through tertiary is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.6 %, rank 6/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of current expenditure on primary through tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87.4 %, rank 31/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of current expenditure on secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88.3 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively low in Japan. (594 Hours, rank 33/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year upper secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively low in Japan. (499 Hours, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of teachers aged between 40 and 49 in secondary schools is especially small. (23.3 %, rank 37/40 , 2024) 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 43/43 , 2024) 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 40/40 , 2024) 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. (32.2 %, rank 42/42 , 2024) 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. (24.5 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) 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. (29.7 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.5 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers younger than 30 in primary education is especially low in Japan. (61.9 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Japan. (44 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Females under 30 represent a small proportion of teachers in upper secondary education in Japan. (37.1 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (45 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Females aged 50 or more represent a small proportion of teachers in primary education in Japan. (68.1 %, rank 40/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Japan. (44.9 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in upper secondary education is especially low in Japan. (27.9 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in tertiary education is especially low in Japan. (26.7 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) 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 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (2.4 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) 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. (34.6 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) 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. (21.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers aged 50 or more in pre-primary education is especially low in Japan (14.1 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) 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 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    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 17/21 , 2024) 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. (96 Index, rank 24/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the change in statutory lower secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (96 Index, rank 25/33 , 2025) 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 5/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    In Japan, the proportion of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools is one of the largest among OECD and participating countries. (100 %, rank 1/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The gap in job satisfaction between teachers and other similarly educated employed adults aged 16-65 is especially wide in favor of teachers in Japan. (19.6 % points, rank 1/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.6 Ratio, rank 29/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes are particularly large in lower secondary schools. (32 Students, rank 2/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes are particularly large in primary schools. (26 Students, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in public primary institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (26 Students, rank 4/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in private primary institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (28 Students, rank 2/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (32 Students, rank 2/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively large in Japan. (33 Students, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (83.1 %, rank 7/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high in Japan. (91.2 %, rank 6/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high in Japan. (84.3 %, rank 9/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.5 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (2 %, rank 34/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is one the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (2.4 %, rank 25/28 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (1.8 %, rank 35/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Japan. (2.3 %, rank 35/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a short cycle tertiary education degree is relatively low in Japan. (3 %, rank 22/24 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low in Japan. (2.7 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low in Japan. (2.3 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Japan. (11.4 %, rank 31/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Japan. (19.3 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Japan, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (8 %, rank 35/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Japan, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low. (3.9 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest in Japan compared with other countries with available data. (59.6 %, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    In Japan, the share of 18-29 year-olds with literacy proficiency at Level 2 or below in the Adult Skills Survey who were NEET was among the lowest across countries with available data. (9.7 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In Japan, the share of employed women aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the highest across countries with available data. (42.8 %, rank 8/30 , 2023) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • 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. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Japan
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Japan
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            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. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			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 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *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 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 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.