Japan: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Japan's primary education, teachers rose 0.5% on 2022 (from 438,666 to 440,864).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was −0.1% and a typical year strayed about 3.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 7% in 1980 and the biggest yearly fall was 12.8% in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 4,167 a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Japan had the 4th highest value of the 40 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Japan in the 2023 ranking

• United States — 1st of 40: 1.78 million
• Mexico — 2nd of 40: 571,832
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3rd of 40: 561,172
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 5th of 40: 372,396
• Russian Federation — 6th of 40: 327,102
• Türkiye — 7th of 40: 299,967

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 40 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3,846 (2024)
• Cambodia — 46,016 (2024)
• China — 6.74 million (2024)
• Fiji — 6,295 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 28,284 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.51 million (2025)
• Kiribati — 734 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 173,133 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 21,845 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,896 (2024)
• Malaysia — 273,792 (2024)

More education data for Japan

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 3.34% (2021)
• Primary education, pupils — 6.25 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 1.28% (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 6.61 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2019)
• Secondary education, teachers

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Japan's primary education, teachers?

440,864 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 20.82% from 364,906 in 1971 (0.36% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 478,349 in 1983 and the lowest 364,906 in 1971.

How does Japan rank?

4th highest of 40 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Japan?

In 2023, Japan's primary education, teachers rose 0.5% on 2022 (from 438,666 to 440,864). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was −0.1% and a typical year strayed about 3.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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