School age population, one year before the official primary entry in India
India: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 11.46 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
11.46 million
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
1st
of 222 countries
All-time high
13.10 million
in 2007
All-time low
7.93 million
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in India, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, one year before the official primary entry in India is 11.46 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in India peaked at 13.10 million in 2007 and was at its lowest, 7.93 million, in 1970.
That places India 1st out of 222 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7.93 million | — |
| 1971 | 8.03 million | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 8.17 million | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 8.34 million | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 8.52 million | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 8.65 million | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 8.82 million | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 9.05 million | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 9.25 million | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 9.48 million | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 9.70 million | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 9.83 million | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 10.11 million | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 10.24 million | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 10.43 million | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 10.70 million | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 11.06 million | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 11.30 million | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 11.51 million | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 11.76 million | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 12.03 million | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 12.20 million | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 12.47 million | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 12.53 million | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 12.67 million | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 12.76 million | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 12.83 million | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 12.96 million | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 13.05 million | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 12.98 million | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 12.42 million | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 12.67 million | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 12.71 million | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 12.77 million | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 12.81 million | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 12.90 million | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 13.05 million | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 13.10 million | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 13.04 million | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 12.96 million | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 12.84 million | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 12.80 million | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 12.70 million | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 12.67 million | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 12.68 million | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 12.66 million | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 12.59 million | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 12.48 million | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 12.35 million | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 12.12 million | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 11.94 million | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 11.97 million | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 11.81 million | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 11.69 million | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 11.60 million | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 11.46 million | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.62 million | 7.93 million | 9.48 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.66 million | 9.70 million | 11.76 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.65 million | 12.03 million | 13.05 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.84 million | 12.42 million | 13.10 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.59 million | 12.12 million | 12.84 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.75 million | 11.46 million | 11.97 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.732 % change on previous year (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.04 million (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.15 million (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 21.75 million (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 22.14 million (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -0.0911 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in India?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in India was 11.46 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 13.10 million in 2007.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.93 million in 1970.
- How does India rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- India ranks 1st out of 222 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. 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 School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release