Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China
China: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both was 11.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China, 2010–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China is 11.7%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 35.4% on the previous year and down 59.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China peaked at 28.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2020.
That places China 40th out of 71 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28.5% | — |
| 2012 | 20.9% | -26.5% |
| 2014 | 19.4% | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | -35.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 11.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.0%, 90% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 21.1% | 18.1% | 28.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.41 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 7,020 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.36 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in China was 11.7% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 28.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2020.
- How does China rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both?
- China ranks 40th out of 71 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.0%. 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 Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release