Japan vs South Africa
Japan vs South Africa: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 11.7 years in Japan and 5.6 years in South Africa, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Japan, by 6.1 years, or 2.1 times that in South Africa.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Japan | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11.7 | 5.6 |
| 2018 | 12.3 | 5.6 |
| 2017 | 12.3 | 5.1 |
| 2010 | 12 | 6.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Japan vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025