Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India

India: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 68.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
68.8%
Change on year
up 7.3%
World rank
82nd
of 96 countries
All-time high
68.8%
in 2023
All-time low
21.5%
in 1971
Years of data
8
1971–2023

Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India, 1971–2023

2030405060701971199720231971: 21.5 %2011: 50.2 %2016: 57.2 %2018: 59.3 %2019: 62.2 %2020: 61.1 %2022: 64.1 %2023: 68.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India is 68.8%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is up 7.3% on the previous year and up 37.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in India peaked at 68.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 1971.

That places India 82nd out of 96 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

Annual values for Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%) in India, 1971 to 2023.
Year % Change
1971 21.5%
2011 50.2% +134.0%
2016 57.2% +14.0%
2018 59.3% +3.7%
2019 62.2% +4.9%
2020 61.1% -1.8%
2022 64.1% +4.9%
2023 68.8% +7.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21.5% 21.5% 21.5% 1
2010s 57.3% 50.2% 62.2% 4
2020s 64.7% 61.1% 68.8% 3

Countries ranked near India

  1. 79 Ghana 73.2% compare
  2. 80 Tunisia 71.0% compare
  3. 81 Egypt 69.4% compare
  4. 83 Bangladesh 68.4% compare
  5. 84 Nigeria 67.3% compare
  6. 85 Guatemala 66.3% compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More education data for India

All data for India →

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 68.8% 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 68.8% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 1971.
How does India rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
India ranks 82nd out of 96 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 37.0%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-at-least-some-primary-isced-1-population-25-years-rural-both-sexes/india/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-at-least-some-primary-isced-1-population-25-years-rural-both-sexes/india/">Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in India</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
96 places, 1,242 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release