China vs India: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes
China
5.54 years
in 2012
India
5.59 years
in 2025
China rank
111th
India rank
109th
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 5.59 years against 5.54 years in China, a difference of 0.05 years.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1971 it was India ahead.
China ranks 111th and India ranks 109th of 214 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and India in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.28 years | 1.77 years | 0.5103 years | China |
| 1980s | 2.09 years | 2.39 years | 0.305 years | India |
| 1990s | 3.09 years | 3.12 years | 0.0355 years | India |
| 2000s | 4.32 years | 3.76 years | 0.5601 years | China |
| 2010s | 5.5 years | 4.68 years | 0.8194 years | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes, China or India?
- India, at 5.59 years against 5.54 years in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes between China and India?
- 0.05 years, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2012.
- How do China and India rank globally for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- China ranks 111th and India ranks 109th of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School life expectancy, secondary, 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