China vs Germany: Primary school starting age
China
6 years
in 2025
Germany
6 years
in 2025
China rank
33rd
Germany rank
33rd
Primary school starting age over time
- China
- Germany
How they compare
China currently reports 6 years against 6 years in Germany, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was China ahead.
China ranks 33rd and Germany ranks 33rd of 210 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7 years | 6 years | 1 years | China |
| 1980s | 7 years | 6 years | 1 years | China |
| 1990s | 7 years | 6 years | 1 years | China |
| 2000s | 6.4 years | 6 years | 0.4 years | China |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 6 years | 6 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary school starting age, China or Germany?
- China, at 6 years against 6 years in Germany as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary school starting age between China and Germany?
- 0 years, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Germany?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and Germany rank globally for primary school starting age?
- China ranks 33rd and Germany ranks 33rd of 210 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Primary school starting age (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Primary school starting age is the age at which students would enter primary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.