Photo/Illutration The OECD released a report on education on Sept. 9. (Captured from OECD’s website)

Japanese government spending on tertiary education, such as universities, is only 54 percent of the average among member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to an OECD report.

The report, released on Sept. 9, also showed that only 31 percent of tertiary education teachers in Japan are female, the lowest rate among OECD countries.

However, Japan spends more than the OECD average on education from elementary to high school, according to the report.

Japan’s public financial expenditure per student in higher education, including research and development, is $8,184 (1.2 million yen), compared with the OECD average of $15,102, the report showed.

Luxembourg is the biggest spender, at $54,384 per student, while Mexico spends the least amount, at $4,430, the report showed.

Among the 37 OECD countries compared, Japan ranked 10th from the bottom.

Despite the relatively low level of government spending, 66 percent of people aged 25 to 34 in Japan have completed higher education, exceeding the OECD average of 48 percent.

Japanese government spending covered 78.2 percent of the costs for pre-primary education, such as kindergartens, below the OECD average of 85.6 percent.

Japan’s total investment in education was 3.9 percent of its gross domestic product, also below the OECD average of 4.7 percent.

However, Japanese government spending accounted for 92.7 percent of the costs for education from elementary to high school, exceeding the OECD average of 90.4 percent.

In addition to the relatively low percentage of female teachers in Japan, 50 percent of all higher education teachers were 50 years old or older as of 2023, topping the OECD average of 40 percent.

Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD, said at an online news conference on Sept. 9 that Japan’s limited public support contributes to social inequality.

He said that while Britain has high tuition fees, it offers student loans that can be forgiven depending on post-graduation income levels.

Schleicher also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the most talented individuals can receive an education by combining subsidies and other support systems.

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