Which has higher average years of schooling, China or Iraq?

Iraq, at 7.91 years against 7.6 years in China as of 2020.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iraq?

24 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.

Where does this data come from?

Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

China vs Iraq: Average years of schooling

China

7.6 years

in 2020

Iraq

7.91 years

in 2020

China rank

106th

Iraq rank

105th

Average years of schooling over time

China
Iraq

How they compare

Iraq currently reports 7.91 years against 7.6 years in China, a difference of 0.31 years.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 1870 it was China ahead.

China ranks 106th and Iraq ranks 105th of 162 countries.

Across the 15 decades both report, China averaged higher in 14 and Iraq in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	Iraq	Difference	Ahead
1870s	1.01 years	0.1 years	0.91 years	China
1880s	1.06 years	0.12 years	0.94 years	China
1890s	1.11 years	0.14 years	0.97 years	China
1900s	1.16 years	0.15 years	1.01 years	China
1910s	1.21 years	0.17 years	1.04 years	China
1920s	1.1 years	0.1731 years	0.9316 years	China
1930s	1.42 years	0.2071 years	1.22 years	China
1950s	1.83 years	0.4442 years	1.39 years	China
1960s	2.7 years	0.8556 years	1.85 years	China
1970s	3.76 years	1.71 years	2.06 years	China
1980s	4.89 years	3.44 years	1.45 years	China
1990s	5.96 years	5.23 years	0.7248 years	China
2000s	7.1 years	6.24 years	0.8602 years	China
2010s	7.66 years	6.68 years	0.983 years	China
2020s	7.6 years	7.91 years	0.3055 years	Iraq

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average years of schooling, China or Iraq?: Iraq, at 7.91 years against 7.6 years in China as of 2020.
What is the difference in average years of schooling between China and Iraq?: 0.31 years, with Iraq ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iraq?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do China and Iraq rank globally for average years of schooling?: China ranks 106th and Iraq ranks 105th of 162 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Iraq: Average years of schooling. Statizoid, drawing on Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/years-of-schooling-prados-de-la-escosura/china/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator: Average years of schooling
Unit: years
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 163 places, 3,421 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.