China vs India: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 6 programmes, both sexes
China
30.69 million
in 2024
India
36.49 million
in 2023
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 6 programmes, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 36.49 million against 30.69 million in China, a difference of 5.80 million.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
Across all 11 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 131 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.07 million | 27.88 million | 5.81 million | India |
| 2020s | 27.40 million | 34.04 million | 6.64 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, isced 6 programmes, both sexes, China or India?
- India, at 36.49 million against 30.69 million in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, isced 6 programmes, both sexes between China and India?
- 5.80 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 6 programmes, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 131 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 6 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