Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China
China: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 49.6% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China, 2013–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 49.6% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China peaked at 51.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 49.6%, in 2024.
China ranks 114th of 149 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 50.6% | — |
| 2014 | 51.0% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 51.4% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 51.7% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 51.7% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 51.8% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 51.8% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 51.1% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 50.7% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 50.0% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 49.8% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 49.6% | -0.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 49.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58.8%, 84% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- China's 49.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.8%, 87% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 51.4% | 50.6% | 51.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 50.3% | 49.6% | 51.1% | 5 |
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 percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in China was 49.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 51.8% in 2018.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.6% in 2024.
- How does China rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- China ranks 114th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release