How many kanji symbols are there?

There are over 50,000 kanji symbols in existence, but not all of them are in common use.

Here's a breakdown:

* Jōyō kanji: These are the 2,136 kanji considered essential for everyday use in Japan.

* Jinmeiyo kanji: These are kanji used primarily in names, and there are about 2,000 of them.

* Rare kanji: There are thousands of kanji that are rarely used, even in specialized fields.

Therefore, while there are over 50,000 kanji in total, a fluent Japanese speaker only needs to learn a few thousand to be able to read and write effectively.