School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in China
China: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) was 49.83 million number in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
49.83 million number
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
2nd
of 205 countries
All-time high
81.39 million number
in 2002
All-time low
34.70 million number
in 1971
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in China, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
China recorded 49.83 million number for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in China peaked at 81.39 million number in 2002 and was at its lowest, 34.70 million number, in 1971.
That places China 2nd out of 205 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in China, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.65 million number | — |
| 1971 | 34.70 million number | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 34.95 million number | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 36.52 million number | +4.5% |
| 1974 | 38.49 million number | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 40.27 million number | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 42.05 million number | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 64.72 million number | +53.9% |
| 1978 | 68.02 million number | +5.1% |
| 1979 | 71.44 million number | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 74.81 million number | +4.7% |
| 1981 | 77.81 million number | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 79.94 million number | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 80.52 million number | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 80.02 million number | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 79.14 million number | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 78.07 million number | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 76.04 million number | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 72.94 million number | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 69.18 million number | -5.2% |
| 1990 | 65.20 million number | -5.7% |
| 1991 | 61.54 million number | -5.6% |
| 1992 | 58.73 million number | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 57.68 million number | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 57.83 million number | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 58.19 million number | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 58.59 million number | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 60.84 million number | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 64.69 million number | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 69.48 million number | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 74.83 million number | +7.7% |
| 2001 | 79.75 million number | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 81.39 million number | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 79.16 million number | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 74.34 million number | -6.1% |
| 2005 | 68.40 million number | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 62.65 million number | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 58.35 million number | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 56.01 million number | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 54.97 million number | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 54.37 million number | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 53.65 million number | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 52.82 million number | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 51.91 million number | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 51.01 million number | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 50.24 million number | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 49.67 million number | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 49.37 million number | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 49.35 million number | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 49.54 million number | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 49.83 million number | +0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 49.83 million number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 353,248 number, 141.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 49.83 million number is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 127,628 number, 390.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +53.9% | 42.05 million number | 64.72 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 46.68 million number | 34.70 million number | 71.44 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.85 million number | 69.18 million number | 80.52 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 61.28 million number | 57.68 million number | 69.48 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.99 million number | 54.97 million number | 81.39 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.19 million number | 49.35 million number | 54.37 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.83 million number | 49.83 million number | 49.83 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 93.37 (1997)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 93.32 (1997)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in China?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in China was 49.83 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 81.39 million number in 2002.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.70 million number in 1971.
- How does China rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. 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 School age population, lower secondary 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 lower secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.