Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of)

China (People’s Republic of): Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 60.67 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
60.67 million
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
1st
of 200 countries
All-time high
60.67 million
in 2024
All-time low
108,617
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2024

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of), 1970–2024

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019972024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

China (People’s Republic of) recorded 60.67 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 44.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 60.67 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 108,617, in 1970.

China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 449,164 108,617 856,322 8
1980s 2.85 million 1.02 million 3.94 million 8
1990s 4.88 million 3.66 million 6.37 million 10
2000s 18.75 million 7.36 million 29.30 million 10
2010s 39.43 million 31.05 million 46.99 million 10
2020s 56.26 million 50.24 million 60.67 million 5

Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)

  1. 2 India 43.90 million compare
  2. 3 United States 18.05 million compare
  3. 4 Brazil 10.55 million compare

See the full ranking of 421 places →

More education data for China (People’s Republic of)

All data for China (People’s Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of) was 60.67 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 60.67 million in 2024.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was 108,617 in 1970.
How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
421 places, 18,321 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release