Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China
China: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes was 99.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
99.6%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
120th
of 217 countries
All-time high
134.0%
in 1987
All-time low
96.3%
in 2015
Years of data
49
1970–2024
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China stood at 99.6%.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China peaked at 134.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 96.3%, in 2015.
That places China 120th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 120.8% | — |
| 1971 | 112.4% | -6.9% |
| 1972 | 107.2% | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 108.2% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 106.4% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 112.5% | +5.7% |
| 1976 | 117.8% | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 115.7% | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 111.0% | -4.1% |
| 1979 | 110.0% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 108.8% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 110.8% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 111.9% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 115.2% | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 118.0% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 125.4% | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 131.1% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 134.0% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 131.6% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 127.5% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 120.9% | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 117.8% | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 115.0% | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 112.7% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 111.2% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 111.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 110.5% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 110.2% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 109.9% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 115.7% | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 105.2% | -9.1% |
| 2007 | 105.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 106.2% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 105.6% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 104.2% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 103.3% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 103.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 101.2% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 96.9% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 96.3% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 96.9% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 97.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 97.8% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.8% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 99.2% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 100.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 99.2% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 99.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 112.2% | 106.4% | 120.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 121.4% | 108.8% | 134.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 113.3% | 109.9% | 120.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 107.6% | 105.2% | 115.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 99.5% | 96.3% | 104.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.4% | 98.8% | 100.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.74 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.2971 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 45.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 52.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 40.93 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -11.55 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in China was 99.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 134.0% in 1987.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.3% in 2015.
- How does China rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes?
- China ranks 120th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release