China vs India: Teachers in primary education, both sexes
China
6.74 million
in 2024
India
5.19 million
in 2025
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
Teachers in primary education, both sexes 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 216 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 teachers in primary education, both sexes, China or India?
- China, at 6.74 million against 5.19 million in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in teachers in primary education, both sexes 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 teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release