Enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of)
China (People’s Republic of): Enrolment in primary education, female was 51.02 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
51.02 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
2nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
68.24 million
in 1976
All-time low
43.40 million
in 2014
Years of data
45
1974–2024
Enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of), 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
China (People’s Republic of) recorded 51.02 million for enrolment in primary education, female in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 68.24 million in 1976 and was at its lowest, 43.40 million, in 2014.
That places China (People’s Republic of) 2nd out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 55.27 million | — |
| 1975 | 63.31 million | +14.5% |
| 1976 | 68.24 million | +7.8% |
| 1977 | 68.23 million | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 66.32 million | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 65.70 million | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 65.77 million | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 65.17 million | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 63.01 million | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 61.00 million | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 59.37 million | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 59.38 million | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 59.86 million | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 59.50 million | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 58.22 million | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 57.16 million | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 56.77 million | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 56.56 million | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 56.55 million | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 56.86 million | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 58.16 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 60.35 million | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 62.41 million | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 64.67 million | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 66.66 million | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 61.95 million | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 50.96 million | -17.7% |
| 2007 | 50.08 million | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 49.23 million | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 48.03 million | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 46.71 million | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 46.05 million | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 45.99 million | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 44.95 million | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 43.40 million | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 43.82 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 45.02 million | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 46.09 million | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 46.95 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 48.16 million | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 49.24 million | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 50.12 million | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 50.44 million | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 50.36 million | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 51.02 million | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 64.51 million | 55.27 million | 68.24 million | 6 |
| 1980s | 60.84 million | 57.16 million | 65.77 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.89 million | 56.55 million | 66.66 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 52.05 million | 48.03 million | 61.95 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 45.71 million | 43.40 million | 48.16 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.24 million | 49.24 million | 51.02 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)
More education data for China (People’s Republic of)
- 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 enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Enrolment in primary education, female in China (People’s Republic of) was 51.02 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, female recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The highest recorded value was 68.24 million in 1976.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, female recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.40 million in 2014.
- How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for enrolment in primary education, female?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 2nd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, female rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release