China vs India: Enrolment in upper secondary education, both sexes
China
45.43 million
in 2024
India
69.17 million
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Enrolment in upper secondary education, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 69.17 million against 45.43 million in China, a difference of 23.74 million.
That makes India's figure about 1.5 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1996 it was India ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 196 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.53 million | 23.69 million | 4.16 million | India |
| 2000s | 33.79 million | 36.77 million | 2.98 million | India |
| 2010s | 42.40 million | 59.95 million | 17.54 million | India |
| 2020s | 43.10 million | 70.48 million | 27.38 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in upper secondary education, both sexes, China or India?
- India, at 69.17 million against 45.43 million in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in enrolment in upper secondary education, both sexes between China and India?
- 23.74 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for enrolment in upper secondary education, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in upper secondary education, 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