How far have pupil numbers in Karatsu fallen?
According to Saga Prefecture's School Basic Survey, elementary school pupils in Karatsu City fell from 7,343 on 1 May 2013 to 5,861 on 1 May 2026 (preliminary). Junior high school students fell from 4,373 to 3,687. The number of elementary schools, including branch schools, went from 38 to 31 (Saga Prefecture, School Basic Survey 2013, Saga Prefecture, School Basic Survey 2026 (preliminary)).
This page was made by Karatsu Farm & Food, an NPO in Karatsu, Saga, as part of the Karatsu Data Bank. It lists the number of elementary and junior high schools and pupils in Karatsu, school mergers and the city's projections, using the figures in Saga Prefecture and Karatsu City documents as they are. We add no conclusions or evaluations. Values we calculated are marked "our calculation". We do not use values read from charts.
Over the 13 years, elementary pupils fell by 1,482 (20.2%) and junior high students by 686 (15.7%) (our calculation). For the population as a whole, see Karatsu population data.
| Year | Elementary schools | Elementary pupils | Junior high schools | Junior high students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 38 (main 33, branch 5) | 7,343 | 21 | 4,373 |
| 2014 | 37 (main 33, branch 4) | 7,209 | 21 | 4,276 |
| 2015 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 7,180 | 21 | 4,194 |
| 2016 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 7,067 | 21 | 4,016 |
| 2017 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,973 | 21 | 3,921 |
| 2018 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,983 | 21 | 3,860 |
| 2019 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,876 | 21 | 3,887 |
| 2020 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,740 | 21 | 3,854 |
| 2021 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,579 | 21 | 3,916 |
| 2022 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,500 | 21 | 3,849 |
| 2023 | 36 (main 33, branch 3) | 6,395 | 21 | 3,813 |
| 2024 | 33 (main 30, branch 3) | 6,215 | 21 | 3,761 |
| 2025 | 31 (main 28, branch 3) | 6,065 | 21 | 3,764 |
| 2026 (prelim.) | 31 | 5,861 | 21 | 3,687 |
How have classes changed?
Comparing 2013 and 2025, Karatsu's elementary schools had 349 and 344 classes; special needs classes rose from 46 to 102, and combined-grade classes (two grades in one class) from 17 to 19. Junior high schools had 162 and 182 classes, with special needs classes rising from 23 to 53 (School Basic Survey 2013, School Basic Survey 2025).
| Category | 2013 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary classes (total) | 349 | 344 |
| single-grade classes | 286 | 223 |
| combined-grade classes | 17 | 19 |
| special needs classes | 46 | 102 |
| Junior high classes (total) | 162 | 182 |
| single-grade classes | 136 | 126 |
| combined-grade classes | 3 | 3 |
| special needs classes | 23 | 53 |
How does Karatsu compare within Saga Prefecture?
On 1 May 2025, Saga Prefecture had 41,146 elementary pupils and 22,647 junior high students. Karatsu had 6,065 and 3,764, or 14.7% and 16.6% of the prefecture (our calculation). Karatsu has 31 of the prefecture's 156 elementary schools, second to Saga City with 36 (School Basic Survey 2025).
| Category | Saga Prefecture | Karatsu City | Saga City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary schools | 156 | 31 | 36 |
| Elementary pupils | 41,146 | 6,065 | 12,422 |
| Junior high schools | 89 | 21 | 25 |
| Junior high students | 22,647 | 3,764 | 6,929 |
In the 2026 preliminary results, the prefecture had 40,135 elementary pupils (down 1,011) and 22,341 junior high students (down 306). In Karatsu, elementary pupils fell by 204 and junior high students by 77 (School Basic Survey 2026, preliminary).
How have school mergers progressed?
A Karatsu City Board of Education document (20 February 2024) lists the schools closed since the municipal merger: elementary schools and branch schools from FY2007 to FY2014, a junior high school in FY2009, and two new junior high schools created by mergers in FY2012 (Karatsu City Board of Education, On school consolidation). In April 2024, two mergers of five elementary schools created the new Kyuragi and Hizen Elementary Schools. In April 2025, three elementary schools merged into Koho Elementary School (Karatsu City, Koho Elementary School opening ceremony). The Japanese version of this page lists the schools by name.
The same document puts the number of city elementary schools, including island schools, at 46 in FY2007, 35 in FY2013 and 33 in FY2023, of which 19, 10 and 13 had combined-grade classes. Its FY2029 projection of 24 schools assumes that all combined-grade schools outside the islands are merged (On school consolidation).
| Category | FY2007 | FY2013 | FY2023 | FY2029 (projection) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary pupils | 8,077 | 7,841 | 6,395 | 5,204 |
| Elementary schools | 46 | 35 | 33 | 24 |
| with combined-grade classes | 19 | 10 | 13 | 6 |
| with one class per grade | 14 | 12 | 8 | 7 |
| Junior high students | 3,902 | 3,634 | 3,060 | 2,562 |
| Junior high schools | 24 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
The Karatsu City School District Council submitted its report on 27 March 2025, built on four points: basic approach to school districts, schools and districts, introducing school choice, and reducing the financial burden on parents (Karatsu City, School District Council report).
How many pupils are projected?
A School District Council document (June 2024) projects elementary pupils in the city at 6,213 in FY2024, 4,964 in FY2030 and 4,375 in FY2045, which is 68.4% of FY2023 (Karatsu City, Projection of elementary pupils).
| Fiscal year | Elementary pupils | Type | Schools with combined-grade classes (outside islands) | Schools with one class per grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R5 (FY2023) | 6,395 | actual | 13 (9) | 8 |
| R6 (FY2024) | 6,213 | actual | 11 (7) | 7 |
| R7 (FY2025) | 6,065 | projection | 11 (7) | 7 |
| R8 (FY2026) | 5,866 | projection | 12 (8) | 6 |
| R9 (FY2027) | 5,666 | projection | 12 (8) | 6 |
| R10 (FY2028) | 5,456 | projection | 13 (9) | 5 |
| R11 (FY2029) | 5,238 | projection | 14 (10) | 6 |
| R12 (FY2030) | 4,964 | projection | 14 (10) | 6 |
| R17 (FY2035) | 4,696 | projection (issue data book) | 14 (10) | 6 |
| R22 (FY2040) | 4,593 | projection (issue data book) | 13 (9) | 7 |
| R27 (FY2045) | 4,375 | projection (issue data book) | 14 (10) | 8 |
The FY2025 projection of 6,065 matched the School Basic Survey value for 1 May 2025. Against the FY2026 projection of 5,866, the preliminary value for 1 May 2026 was 5,861 (School Basic Survey 2026, preliminary).
What about the island schools?
Karatsu has seven inhabited islands. The city projection lists 10, 6, 8 and 7 pupils at the four island elementary schools on Takashima, Madara, Kakara and Ogawa in FY2024, projected at 2, 4, 4 and 3 in FY2030 (Karatsu City, Projection of elementary pupils). Island population, ferries, schools and island study programmes are in Island statistics.
Since FY2023 we have worked with one island school a year on environmental education using marine litter (Island ESD).
FAQ
Q1. How many elementary school pupils are there in Karatsu?
According to the preliminary School Basic Survey, Karatsu had 5,861 elementary pupils on 1 May 2026, compared with 6,065 in 2025 and 7,343 in 2013.
Q2. How many junior high school students are there in Karatsu?
Karatsu had 3,687 junior high students on 1 May 2026 (preliminary), including private and prefectural schools. In 2013 there were 4,373.
Q3. How many schools are there in Karatsu?
As of 1 May 2026 (preliminary), 31 elementary and 21 junior high schools. In 2025 the 31 elementary schools were 28 main schools and 3 branch schools.
Q4. Which schools merged recently?
According to Karatsu City, in April 2024 two elementary schools merged into Kyuragi Elementary and three into Hizen Elementary. In April 2025 three elementary schools merged into Koho Elementary.
Q5. How many pupils are projected?
A city School District Council document (June 2024) projects 4,964 elementary pupils in FY2030 and 4,375 in FY2045.
Sources
| Document | Publisher | Date | URL | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Basic Survey FY2026 (preliminary) | Saga Prefecture | 2026-08-26 | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/toukei/kiji00381876/index.html | 2026-11-08 |
| School Basic Survey FY2025 (final) | Saga Prefecture | 2026-03-18 | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/toukei/kiji003118657/index.html | 2026-11-08 |
| School Basic Survey, final results FY2013-FY2024 (list) | Saga Prefecture | each year | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/toukei/list01608.html | 2026-11-08 |
| School Basic Survey FY2013 (final) | Saga Prefecture | 2014 | https://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/toukei/kiji0038173/index.html | 2026-11-08 |
| On school consolidation | Karatsu City Board of Education | 2024-02-20 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/4575.pdf | 2026-11-08 |
| Projection of elementary pupils and reorganisation plan (3rd council meeting) | Karatsu City | 2024-01-17 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/3953.pdf | 2026-11-08 |
| Projection of elementary pupils (4th council meeting, Document 1) | Karatsu City | 2024-06-03 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/3198.pdf | 2026-11-08 |
| School District Council report (27 March 2025) | Karatsu City | 2025-04-08 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/page/31369.html | 2026-11-08 |
| Closing ceremonies at three schools | Karatsu City | 2025-03-18 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/page/30674.html | 2026-11-08 |
| Koho Elementary School opening ceremony (8 April 2025) | Karatsu City | 2025-04-09 | https://www.city.karatsu.lg.jp/site/shichonoheya/32282.html | 2026-11-08 |
Notes on reading the figures
School Basic Survey figures by municipality combine national, public and private schools; Karatsu's junior high figures include a private and a prefectural school. 2026 figures are preliminary and may change. City and council documents count only city schools and treat suspended and branch schools differently, so counts may not match the survey in the same year (for example, elementary pupils in FY2013: 7,343 in the survey, 7,841 in the city document). City projections are based on preschool children at the time and some tables do not reflect planned mergers.
What this page does not cover
High schools, special needs schools, kindergartens and certified childcare centres; pupils by school (listed in the city documents); teacher numbers; school budgets; the content of merger discussions or opinions on them. Detailed island school figures are in Island statistics.
Citing this page and enquiries
To cite figures on this page or ask about finding local data, please use our contact page or email info@karatsu-f-f.com.
About this page
By Hiroaki Kojima (Vice Director, Karatsu Farm & Food) / Contact: info@karatsu-f-f.com (contact page) / Published 8 November 2026 / Markdown: karatsu-school-data.mdThis page is made together with AI. See this data bank and AI for how.
Related links
▶ Karatsu Data Bank
▶ Karatsu population data
▶ Island statistics
▶ Karatsu city finance data
▶ 日本語版