China vs European Union: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes

China
46.99 million number
in 2019
European Union
19.97 million number
in 2019
China rank
1st
European Union rank
24th

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time

  • China
  • European Union
010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M197019942019

How they compare

China currently reports 46.99 million number against 19.97 million number in European Union, a difference of 27.02 million number.

That makes China's figure about 2.4 times European Union's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 46 shared years of data; in 1970 it was European Union ahead.

China ranks 1st and European Union ranks 24th of 193 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and European Union in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China European Union Difference Ahead
1970s 449,164 number 7.32 million number 6.88 million number European Union
1980s 2.85 million number 9.36 million number 6.51 million number European Union
1990s 4.88 million number 13.34 million number 8.46 million number European Union
2000s 18.75 million number 18.49 million number 260,039 number China
2010s 39.43 million number 19.91 million number 19.51 million number China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, China or European Union?
China, at 46.99 million number against 19.97 million number in European Union as of 2019.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between China and European Union?
27.02 million number, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
46 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2019.
How do China and European Union rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
China ranks 1st and European Union ranks 24th of 193 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.

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China vs European Union: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number/china/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 8,058 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.