China vs United States: Primary education, teachers

China
6.74 million
in 2024
United States
1.78 million
in 2023
China rank
1st
United States rank
3rd

Primary education, teachers over time

  • China
  • United States
2.0M4.0M6.0M197019972024

How they compare

China currently reports 6.74 million against 1.78 million in United States, a difference of 4.96 million.

That makes China's figure about 3.8 times United States's.

Across all 18 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.

China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 204 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States Difference Ahead
1980s 5.39 million 1.42 million 3.97 million China
1990s 5.63 million 1.48 million 4.15 million China
2010s 6.05 million 1.73 million 4.32 million China
2020s 6.66 million 1.75 million 4.91 million China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher primary education, teachers, China or United States?
China, at 6.74 million against 1.78 million in United States as of 2024.
What is the difference in primary education, teachers between China and United States?
4.96 million, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
18 years are reported by both, from 1984 to 2023.
How do China and United States rank globally for primary education, teachers?
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd 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

Indicator
Primary education, teachers
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
249 places, 9,469 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.