China vs India: Enrolment in primary education, female
China
51.02 million
in 2024
India
60.33 million
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Enrolment in primary education, female over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 60.33 million against 51.02 million in China, a difference of 9.31 million.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 44 shared years of data; in 1974 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 216 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and India in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 64.51 million | 25.26 million | 39.25 million | China |
| 1980s | 60.84 million | 32.78 million | 28.06 million | China |
| 1990s | 59.89 million | 44.88 million | 15.01 million | China |
| 2000s | 52.32 million | 61.76 million | 9.44 million | India |
| 2010s | 45.71 million | 62.28 million | 16.56 million | India |
| 2020s | 50.24 million | 61.67 million | 11.43 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in primary education, female, China or India?
- India, at 60.33 million against 51.02 million in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in enrolment in primary education, female between China and India?
- 9.31 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for enrolment in primary education, female?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in primary education, female (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