China vs India: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes
China
40.93 million
in 2024
India
37.89 million
in 2025
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 40.93 million against 37.89 million in India, a difference of 3.04 million.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times India's.
Across all 29 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 214 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.94 million | 613,131 | 7.33 million | China |
| 1980s | 13.92 million | 1.13 million | 12.79 million | China |
| 1990s | 23.77 million | 1.79 million | 21.98 million | China |
| 2010s | 45.57 million | 43.73 million | 1.84 million | China |
| 2020s | 46.12 million | 35.64 million | 10.48 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes, China or India?
- China, at 40.93 million against 37.89 million in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes between China and India?
- 3.04 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release