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Since 1940 when it was the highest, the proportion of the working-age population with no more than elementary education completed has been decreasing, while the proportion who received secondary or higher education has been rapidly increasing. This trend accelerated after World War . Looking at the statistics for 1968, 60% had finished only elementary education, 32% secondary education, and 8% had completed higher education.
Note: Actual numbers are given in Basic Table 30. Basic Table 30
The number of persons of working age who had completed each level of education was estimated on the basis of the number of students graduated annually in past years.
The rise in the educational attainments of the working age population can be attributed to the expansion of educational opportunities resulting from both arising popular demand for education and an increased national income due to high economic growth, but in turn such educational expansion is an important factor in Japan's social and economic development.
The comparison of Japanese educational attainments with those of the American people shows that the proportion of Japanese who have completed higher education is still lower than that of Americans.
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