Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China
China: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or was 72.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China stood at 72.4%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China peaked at 72.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.8%, in 1982.
China ranks 67th of 134 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 36.4% | 36.4% | 36.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 52.3% | 52.3% | 52.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 65.3% | 65.3% | 65.3% | 1 |
| 2020s | 72.4% | 72.4% | 72.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 64 Jamaica 77.4% compare
- 65 Namibia 76.8% compare
- 66 Macau (China) 73.3% compare
- 68 Trinidad and Tobago 71.9% compare
- 69 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 70.9% compare
- 70 Palestine, State of 69.5% compare
More education data for China
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.74 million (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 15.4% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 99.64 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 99.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China?
- Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in China was 72.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 72.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.8% in 1982.
- How does China rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
- China ranks 67th out of 134 countries with data for 2020.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release