Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India
India: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 54.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India, 2000–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India stood at 54.9%. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India peaked at 84.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 54.9%, in 2020.
That places India 187th out of 201 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 83.5% | — |
| 2001 | 83.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 84.6% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 83.0% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 65.0% | -21.6% |
| 2015 | 65.2% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 66.6% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 64.8% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 56.7% | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 56.2% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 54.9% | -2.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 54.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 86.3%, 64% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 54.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 85.4%, 64% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 83.6% | 83.0% | 84.6% | 4 |
| 2010s | 62.4% | 56.2% | 66.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 54.9% | 54.9% | 54.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
- 184 Bermuda 56.0% compare
- 185 Palestine, State of 55.5% compare
- 186 Montserrat 55.3% compare
- 188 Pakistan 53.0% compare
- 189 Cayman Islands 52.8% compare
- 190 Antigua and Barbuda 51.2% compare
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India was 54.9% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 84.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.9% in 2020.
- How does India rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- India ranks 187th out of 201 countries with data for 2020.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release