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 12.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China, 2010–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China stood at 12.7%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China peaked at 21.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2018.
That places China 33rd 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
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21.7% | — |
| 2012 | 16.6% | -23.5% |
| 2014 | 15.6% | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 13.8% | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | -8.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 12.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.8%, 1.2× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Countries ranked near China
- 30 South Africa 15.4%
- 31 Democratic Republic of Congo 15.4% compare
- 32 El Salvador 12.7% compare
- 34 Ecuador 11.3% compare
- 35 Dominican Republic 10.8% compare
- 36 Norway 10.5% compare
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, urban in China?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in China was 12.7% 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 21.7% 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 12.7% in 2018.
- How does China rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
- China ranks 33rd 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 41.6%. 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, female (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