China vs Ethiopia: Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region
China
8.25 million children
in 1997
Ethiopia
4.24 million children
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Ethiopia rank
4th
Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region over time
- China
- Ethiopia
How they compare
China currently reports 8.25 million children against 4.24 million children in Ethiopia, a difference of 4.01 million children.
That makes China's figure about 1.9 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Ethiopia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 196 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Ethiopia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Ethiopia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.71 million children | 4.95 million children | 1.25 million children | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 10.23 million children | 6.79 million children | 3.44 million children | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region, China or Ethiopia?
- China, at 8.25 million children against 4.24 million children in Ethiopia as of 1997.
- What is the difference in primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region between China and Ethiopia?
- 4.01 million children, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Ethiopia?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 1996.
- How do China and Ethiopia rank globally for primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region?
- China ranks 2nd and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Children in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.