China vs India: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes
China
639,280
in 2024
India
235,616
in 2023
China rank
2nd
India rank
3rd
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 639,280 against 235,616 in India, a difference of 403,664.
That makes China's figure about 2.7 times India's.
Across all 11 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 143 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 343,767 | 134,444 | 209,323 | China |
| 2020s | 514,126 | 215,557 | 298,570 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes, China or India?
- China, at 639,280 against 235,616 in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes between China and India?
- 403,664, with China 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 8 programmes, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 143 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 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