Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China
China: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle was 7.8% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China, 2010–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China stood at 7.8%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 69.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China peaked at 25.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 2020.
China ranks 33rd of 42 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 25.6% | — |
| 2012 | 24.1% | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 17.5% | -27.4% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | -53.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 7.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12.3%, 64% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20.9% | 16.7% | 25.6% | 4 |
| 2020s | 7.8% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 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, middle in China?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in China was 7.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 2020.
- How does China rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle?
- China ranks 33rd out of 42 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.4%. 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, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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