Brazil vs China: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes
Brazil
10.55 million
in 2024
China
60.67 million
in 2024
Brazil rank
4th
China rank
1st
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time
- Brazil
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 60.67 million against 10.55 million in Brazil, a difference of 50.12 million.
That makes China's figure about 5.7 times Brazil's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 46 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Brazil ahead.
Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 200 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Brazil averaged higher in 1 and China in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.02 million | 449,164 | 570,106 | Brazil |
| 1980s | 1.46 million | 2.98 million | 1.52 million | China |
| 1990s | 1.83 million | 4.71 million | 2.88 million | China |
| 2000s | 4.41 million | 18.24 million | 13.83 million | China |
| 2010s | 7.92 million | 39.43 million | 31.51 million | China |
| 2020s | 9.78 million | 56.26 million | 46.47 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Brazil or China?
- China, at 60.67 million against 10.55 million in Brazil as of 2024.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Brazil and China?
- 50.12 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and China?
- 46 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Brazil and China rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, 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