Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India
India: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 82.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India stood at 82.5%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.8% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India peaked at 82.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.4%, in 1981.
That places India 115th out of 133 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 41.0% | — |
| 1981 | 39.4% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 69.9% | +77.6% |
| 2016 | 77.6% | +11.0% |
| 2018 | 76.2% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 80.4% | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 78.0% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 78.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 82.5% | +4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 39.4% | 39.4% | 39.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 76.0% | 69.9% | 80.4% | 4 |
| 2020s | 79.7% | 78.0% | 82.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India was 82.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 82.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.4% in 1981.
- How does India rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- India ranks 115th out of 133 countries with data for 2023.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release