3,827 teacher positions unfilled across Japan: 2025 survey

The figure jumped from 2,065 in the previous survey four years earlier, reflecting the country's worsening teacher shortage.

The ministry noted that schools are struggling to find nonregular teachers to replace young regular teachers leaving for illness, pregnancy, childbirth or other reasons.

The ministry began the teacher shortage survey in fiscal 2021, and the 2025 survey was the second.

In the 2025 survey, the number of unfilled teacher positions was 1,699 at elementary schools, 1,031 at junior high schools, 508 at high schools and 589 at special-needs schools.

Teacher shortages were found at 7.1 pct of elementary schools, 8.1 pct of junior high schools, 7.8 pct of high schools and 25.4 pct of special-needs schools.

The number of homeroom teachers in short at elementary schools more than doubled to 1,086 from 474. At such schools, principals, vice principals and other senior teachers substituted as homeroom teachers.