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

China
46.99 million number
in 2019
India
35.15 million number
in 2019
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd

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

  • China
  • India
010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M197019942019

How they compare

China currently reports 46.99 million number against 35.15 million number in India, a difference of 11.85 million number.

That makes China's figure about 1.3 times India's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1973 it was India ahead.

China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 193 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China India Difference Ahead
1970s 548,214 number 3.04 million number 2.49 million number India
1980s 2.85 million number 4.17 million number 1.32 million number India
1990s 4.89 million number 5.28 million number 389,196 number India
2000s 18.75 million number 12.82 million number 5.93 million number China
2010s 39.43 million number 30.18 million number 9.25 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 India?
China, at 46.99 million number against 35.15 million number in India as of 2019.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between China and India?
11.85 million number, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
38 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2019.
How do China and India rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd 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 India: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number/china/india/

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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.