Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India
India: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both was 23.61 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India stood at 23.61 million number.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India peaked at 25.64 million number in 2012 and was at its lowest, 15.06 million number, in 1970.
That places India 1st out of 206 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 15.06 million number | — |
| 1971 | 15.29 million number | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 15.61 million number | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 15.91 million number | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 16.19 million number | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 16.44 million number | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 16.67 million number | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 17.04 million number | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 17.43 million number | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 17.81 million number | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 18.17 million number | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 18.48 million number | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 18.89 million number | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 19.28 million number | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 19.66 million number | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 20.02 million number | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 20.37 million number | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 20.86 million number | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 21.40 million number | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 21.95 million number | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 22.43 million number | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 22.80 million number | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 23.18 million number | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 23.47 million number | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 23.68 million number | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 23.82 million number | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 23.94 million number | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 24.12 million number | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 24.27 million number | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 24.38 million number | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 24.47 million number | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 24.53 million number | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 24.68 million number | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 24.85 million number | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 25.02 million number | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 25.17 million number | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 25.26 million number | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 25.39 million number | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 25.49 million number | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 25.57 million number | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 25.62 million number | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 25.62 million number | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 25.64 million number | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 25.63 million number | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 25.59 million number | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 25.48 million number | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 25.28 million number | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 25.00 million number | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 24.57 million number | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 24.09 million number | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 23.61 million number | -2.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 23.61 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 236,397 number, 99.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 23.61 million number is above the median for South Asia, which is 440,325 number, 53.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.34 million number | 15.06 million number | 17.81 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.91 million number | 18.17 million number | 21.95 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.61 million number | 22.43 million number | 24.38 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.04 million number | 24.47 million number | 25.57 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.25 million number | 24.09 million number | 25.64 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.61 million number | 23.61 million number | 23.61 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
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 population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India?
- Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in India was 23.61 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 25.64 million number in 2012.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.06 million number in 1970.
- How does India rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both?
- India ranks 1st out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the official entrance age to primary education. The official entrance age is the age at which students would enter a given programme or level of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.