According to data compiled by the National Personnel Authority, while the number of successful candidates in the 2026 spring recruitment examination for generalist positions increased to 2021 for the first time in three years, the ratio of successful candidates to applicants fell to a record low of 6.2 times.
According to the National Personnel Authority, the number of applicants was 458 higher than the previous spring, but the number of first-stage exam takers was only 9,940, a decrease of 17. The number of successful candidates was 650 for the graduate-level exam and 1,371 for the undergraduate-level exam, an increase of 10 for graduate-level candidates, 218 for undergraduate-level candidates, and 228 overall compared to the previous spring. The percentage of women among the successful candidates reached 35.7%, setting a new record high for the second consecutive year. 213 candidates passed the "General Knowledge" category, which was newly introduced in the spring exam.
The university from which the most successful applicants came was the University of Tokyo with 291. This was followed by Kyoto University with 132, Waseda University with 115, Hokkaido University with 73, Tohoku University and Chuo University with 70 each, Keio University with 68, and Ritsumeikan University with 60.
Those in generalist positions are called "career bureaucrats" and become candidates for executive positions in central government ministries and agencies. The number of people expected to be hired in the spring 2026 exam is projected to be about 40 more than the previous spring. Successful candidates who are fourth-year university students will undergo interviews with various ministries and agencies, known as "government office visits," starting in June, and will be officially hired in the spring of 2027.
