China vs India: Primary education, teachers
China
6.74 million
in 2024
India
5.19 million
in 2025
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
Primary education, teachers over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 6.74 million against 5.19 million in India, a difference of 1.55 million.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times India's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 204 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.59 million | 1.49 million | 3.10 million | China |
| 2000s | 5.82 million | 2.94 million | 2.88 million | China |
| 2010s | 5.99 million | 4.30 million | 1.69 million | China |
| 2020s | 6.67 million | 4.75 million | 1.92 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary education, teachers, China or India?
- China, at 6.74 million against 5.19 million in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in primary education, teachers between China and India?
- 1.55 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for primary education, teachers?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Primary education, teachers. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.