NATIONAL PROFILE on Chemicals Management - UNITAR

1 1.2 Official language and education systemJapan’s official language is Japanese, and literacy rate is almost 100%. Six years of elementaryschool and three years of junior high school are compulsory, and 94% (as of 2001) of full-daystudents continue to secondary education, a rate that rises to 97.3% when day/evening andcorrespondence courses (regular courses) and upper secondary special training colleges areincluded (as of 2001). The advancement ratio of students to higher education (universitiesand all other institutes and courses of higher education) is 49.3% (as of 2001), a rate whichrises to 71.8% when students advancing to degree courses in correspondence colleges, theUniversity of the Air or specialised training colleges are included.(Source: Homepage of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) – http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/toukei/index.htm)1 1.3 PopulationThe total population of Japan is approximately 127 million people, of which approximately99.9 million people (79%) live in urban areas and approximately 27.1 million people (21%)live in rural areas (as of 2000).Table 1-1Total population and age compositionYEARPOPULATION (UNIT: 1,000 PERSONS) PROPORTION (%)TOTAL NUMBER 0-14 YEARS 15-64 YEARS 65 YEARS AND OVER 0-14 YEARS 15-64 YEARS 65 YEARS AND OVER1920 55,963 20,416 32,605 2,941 36.5 58.3 5.31925 59,737 21,924 34,792 3,021 36.7 58.2 5.11930 64,450 23,579 37,807 3,064 36.6 58.7 4.81935 69,254 25,545 40,484 3,225 36.9 58.5 4.71950 84,115 29,786 50,168 4,155 35.4 59.6 4.91955 90,077 30,123 55,167 4,786 33.4 61.2 5.31960 94,302 28,434 60,469 5,398 30.2 64.1 5.71965 99,209 25,529 67,444 6,236 25.7 68.0 6.31970 104,665 25,153 72,119 7,393 24.0 68.9 7.11975 111,940 27,221 75,807 8,865 24.3 67.7 7.91980 117,060 27,507 78,835 10,647 23.5 67.3 9.11985 121,049 26,033 82,506 12,468 21.5 68.2 10.31990 123,611 22,486 85,904 14,895 18.2 69.5 12.01995 125,570 20,014 87,165 18,261 15.9 69.4 14.52000 126,926 18,472 86,220 22,005 14.6 67.9 17.3Source: Report on National Census, Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications.Note: Persons whose ages are unknown have been included in the total numbers since 1975.2