Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India
India: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 50.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
50.8%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
10th
of 200 countries
All-time high
54.3%
in 2016
All-time low
43.8%
in 2001
Years of data
8
2001–2020
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India, 2001–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India is 50.8%, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India peaked at 54.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 43.8%, in 2001.
That places India 10th out of 200 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 43.8% | — |
| 2014 | 52.7% | +20.5% |
| 2015 | 52.9% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 54.3% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 50.6% | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 50.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 50.8% | +0.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 50.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 48.6%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 50.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 50.2%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 43.8% | 43.8% | 43.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 52.6% | 50.6% | 54.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 50.8% | 50.8% | 50.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
- 7 Jordan 51.9% compare
- 8 Kuwait 51.4% compare
- 9 Montserrat 50.8% compare
- 11 Sierra Leone 50.8% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 50.7% compare
- 13 Malawi 50.5% 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 50.8% 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 54.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.8% in 2001.
- How does India rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- India ranks 10th out of 200 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 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release