Japan — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Japan, 1971–2021.
Education spending for Japan was 3.34% in 2021, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 42 years, from 1971 to 2021. The highest recorded value was 5.49% in 1987. The lowest was 3.08% in 2018 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.14% per year.
Japan ranks 120 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 70%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so Japan sits below it. It peaked in 1987 and has fallen 39% since. Over the last decade (2011–2021) the figure moved down 7%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 19 of 25 economies; Viet Nam (2.89%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 36% in 1993.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 24th of 53 in 1971 → 24th of 63 in 1980 → 72nd of 116 in 2000 → 78th of 130 in 2010 → 118th of 157 in 2020 → 105th of 152 in 2021.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2021
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.34% | +0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 3.31% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 3.16% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 3.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 3.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 3.15% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 3.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 3.42% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 3.41% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 3.42% | -0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 3.61% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 3.6% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 3.27% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 3.28% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 3.28% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 3.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 3.43% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 3.47% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 3.41% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 3.4% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 3.46% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 3.38% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 3.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 3.57% | +0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 3.37% | -1.9 pp |
| 1989 | 5.27% | -0.2 pp |
| 1988 | 5.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 1987 | 5.49% | +0.8 pp |
| 1983 | 4.72% | -0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 4.94% | -0.0 pp |
| 1981 | 4.96% | -0.0 pp |
| 1980 | 4.96% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 4.95% | +0.2 pp |
| 1978 | 4.79% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 4.74% | -0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 4.75% | +0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 4.57% | +0.6 pp |
| 1974 | 3.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 3.96% | +0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 3.93% | +0.3 pp |
| 1971 | 3.58% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Japan’s Education spending in 1972?
3.93% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Japan’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2021 the series was shrinking overall: -6.8% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2021: 3.34%; 2020: 3.31%; 2019: 3.16%; 2018: 3.08%; 2017: 3.13%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.