OECD Report Highlights Japan's Education Spending Disparities

On September 9, the OECD published a report that examines various aspects of education in its member countries. It noted that Japan's governmental spending on tertiary education—including universities—is only 54 percent of the average among OECD nations. This financial shortfall is particularly significant given that Japan invests more than the OECD average in education for students from elementary through high school, highlighting an imbalance in funding priorities.

The report reveals that Japan has a disproportionately low representation of female educators in higher education, with only 31 percent of tertiary education teachers being women, the lowest ratio among OECD countries. Moreover, the funding provided for higher education in Japan amounts to $8,184 per student, which is considerably less than the OECD average of $15,102. Luxembourg is highlighted as the country with the highest spending per student, while Mexico spends the least.

Despite ranking 10th from the bottom in terms of government spending on higher education among the 37 OECD countries, Japan has a surprisingly high completion rate for higher education among young adults, with 66 percent of those aged 25 to 34 having attained such qualifications, surpassing the OECD average of 48 percent. In contrast, Japan's financial support for pre-primary education, which covers 78.2 percent of costs, remains below the OECD average of 85.6 percent.

Additionally, the total investment in education in Japan stands at 3.9 percent of its GDP, falling short of the OECD average of 4.7 percent. While the Japanese government contributes 92.7 percent of the funding required for elementary to high school education, this figure is slightly above the OECD average of 90.4 percent.

The report also highlights that as of 2023, 50 percent of higher education teachers in Japan are aged 50 or older, exceeding the OECD average of 40 percent. Andreas Schleicher, the director for education and skills at the OECD, expressed concerns during an online news conference regarding Japan's limited public support and its effects on social inequality. He suggested that, unlike Britain, which imposes high tuition fees but offers student loan forgiveness options based on post-graduation income, Japan needs to enhance its subsidy and support systems to ensure access to education for all talented individuals.