China vs India: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes
China
13.2 years
in 2012
India
13.02 years
in 2025
China rank
108th
India rank
111th
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 13.2 years against 13.02 years in India, a difference of 0.18 years.
Across all 21 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 108th and India ranks 111th of 186 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.32 years | 6.2 years | 2.12 years | China |
| 1980s | 8.35 years | 7.06 years | 1.29 years | China |
| 1990s | 8.98 years | 8.06 years | 0.9274 years | China |
| 2000s | 11.87 years | 10.16 years | 1.71 years | China |
| 2010s | 13.07 years | 11.43 years | 1.64 years | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes, China or India?
- China, at 13.2 years against 13.02 years in India as of 2012.
- What is the difference in school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes between China and India?
- 0.18 years, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2012.
- How do China and India rank globally for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- China ranks 108th and India ranks 111th of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release