Comparison

Spain vs Japan

Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.

At a glance

Spain

In Spain, children routinely stay up past 10 PM โ€” and nobody bats an eye.

Family life revolves around late meals, evening paseos, and a rhythm that baffles Northern European parents.

Japan

In Japan, six-year-olds ride the Tokyo subway alone.

A culture of collective responsibility and meticulous safety infrastructure makes child independence possible in one of the world's largest cities.

Indicators side by side
Under-5 mortality rate
3.0
Spain
2.3
Japan
per 1,000
Education spending (% of GDP)
4.3%
Spain
3.4%
Japan
%
Child poverty rate
20.4%
Spain
13.9%
Japan
%
Corporal punishment
Banned
Spain
Banned
Japan
Childcare enrollment (0-2)
37%
Spain
53%
Japan
%
Paid parental leave
16 wk
Spain
58 wk
Japan
weeks
Child stunting rate
n/a
Spain
7.1%
Japan
%
Immunization (DPT3)
95%
Spain
99%
Japan
%
Adolescent birth rate
6.8
Spain
3.1
Japan
per 1,000
PISA average score
481
Spain
536
Japan
points
Secondary completion rate
78%
Spain
99%
Japan
%
Early childhood education enrollment
97%
Spain
90%
Japan
%
Birth registration rate
100%
Spain
100%
Japan
%
Child labor rate
0%
Spain
0%
Japan
%
Child benefit spending (% of GDP)
1.3%
Spain
1.6%
Japan
% of GDP
How they compare
Child independence expectations
Spain
Japan
Low High
Structured enrichment emphasis
Spain
Japan
Low High
Risk tolerance in play
Spain
Japan
Low High
School systems
Continental European model

Spain

School starts at age 6. Strong emphasis on academic content from early grades. Homework is expected from age 6-7. Most schools run 9 AM to 5 PM with a long lunch break.

East Asian model

Japan

Academic rigor balanced with group harmony. Students clean their own classrooms and serve lunch. The school year starts in April. Cram schools (juku) supplement formal education for 60%+ of students by middle school.

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โ† Spain profile ยท Japan profile โ†’