Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China

China: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban was 13.3% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
13.3%
Change on year
down 17.9%
World rank
32nd
of 69 countries
All-time high
22.8%
in 2010
All-time low
13.3%
in 2018
Years of data
5
2010–2018

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China, 2010–2018

05101520252010201420182010: 22.8 %2012: 16.4 %2014: 16.3 %2016: 16.2 %2018: 13.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China is 13.3%, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 17.9% on the previous year and down 41.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China peaked at 22.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 2018.

That places China 32nd out of 69 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban, both sexes (household survey data) (%) in China, 2010 to 2018.
Year % Change
2010 22.8%
2012 16.4% -28.1%
2014 16.3% -0.4%
2016 16.2% -1.0%
2018 13.3% -17.9%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 13.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12.0%, 1.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)

Countries ranked near China

  1. 29 Nepal 15.4% compare
  2. 30 Kenya 13.9% compare
  3. 31 El Salvador 13.5% compare
  4. 33 Armenia 13.1% compare
  5. 34 Democratic Republic of Congo 12.9% compare
  6. 35 Dominican Republic 12.0% compare

See the full ranking of 69 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China?
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China was 13.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2010.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 2018.
How does China rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
China ranks 32nd out of 69 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 41.8%. 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 Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-youth-of-upper-secondary-school-age-urban-both-sexes-household-2/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban, both sexes (household survey data) (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
69 places, 833 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release