Japan vs South Korea: Average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics

Japan
535.58 score
in 2022
South Korea
527.3 score
in 2022
Japan rank
5th
South Korea rank
6th

Average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics over time

  • Japan
  • South Korea
0200400600200320122022

How they compare

Japan currently reports 535.58 score against 527.3 score in South Korea, a difference of 8.28 score.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 7 shared years of data; in 2003 it was South Korea ahead.

Japan ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 6th of 57 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan South Korea Difference Ahead
2000s 528.74 score 545.3 score 16.56 score South Korea
2010s 531.94 score 534.6 score 2.66 score South Korea
2020s 535.58 score 527.3 score 8.28 score Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics, Japan or South Korea?
Japan, at 535.58 score against 527.3 score in South Korea as of 2022.
What is the difference in average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics between Japan and South Korea?
8.28 score, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
7 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2022.
How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics?
Japan ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 6th of 57 countries.
Where does this data come from?
OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs South Korea: Average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics. Statizoid, drawing on OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/academic-performance/japan/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Average performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics
Unit
score
Source
OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
57 places, 373 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

Assessed through the PISA mathematics scale, which measures how well someone can use math to solve everyday problems and understand the role of math in the real world.