Secondary

Overview

Information on key aspects of a country’s education system, including governance, instructional language, and other structural features defined by national or regional regulations.

Ministry Responsible

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

Language of Instruction

Japanese

Duration

6 years (ages 12 to 18)

Grades 7 to 12

Levels

Lower secondary: Grades 7 to 9 (compulsory)

Upper secondary: Grades 10 to 12 (non-compulsory)

Qualifications, Curriculum, Grading

Not all awards or study patterns are included.

Institutions

Types and number of officially recognized institutions providing secondary education.

Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan

Grading System

Examples of the most commonly used grading scales.

Enrollment

Total Enrollment

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Gross Enrollment Ratio

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

International Benchmarks

PISA 2022 Mathematics

Japan

535.6

Global Rank

5 of 81

International Average

472.4

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Science

Japan

546.6

Global Rank

2 of 81

International Average

484.6

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Reading

Japan

515.9

Global Rank

3 of 81

PIRLS Scale Centerpoint

475.6

Source: OECD

TIMSS 2023 Mathematics Grade 8

Japan

595

Global Rank

4 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

TIMSS 2023 Science Grade 8

Japan

557

Global Rank

3 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

Lower Secondary Mathematics: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics.

Japan

91.7% (2023)

Global Rank

1 of 103

High Income Countries Average

70.9% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Lower Secondary Reading: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading.

Japan

86.3% (2022)

Global Rank

5 of 94

High Income Countries Average

80.5% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics