School age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of)
China (People’s Republic of): School age population, primary education, both sexes was 102.98 million number in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
102.98 million number
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
2nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
133.87 million number
in 1979
All-time low
94.05 million number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of), 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of) is 102.98 million number, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 133.87 million number in 1979 and was at its lowest, 94.05 million number, in 1970.
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 2nd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 94.05 million number | — |
| 1971 | 99.01 million number | +5.3% |
| 1972 | 103.77 million number | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 108.75 million number | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 113.93 million number | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 119.19 million number | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 124.18 million number | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 128.80 million number | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 132.15 million number | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 133.87 million number | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 133.64 million number | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 131.57 million number | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 129.41 million number | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 126.13 million number | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 121.68 million number | -3.5% |
| 1985 | 116.17 million number | -4.5% |
| 1986 | 110.06 million number | -5.3% |
| 1987 | 104.50 million number | -5.1% |
| 1988 | 100.20 million number | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 97.57 million number | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 97.01 million number | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 98.42 million number | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 99.93 million number | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 103.07 million number | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 108.06 million number | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 114.73 million number | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 122.09 million number | +6.4% |
| 1997 | 129.04 million number | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 132.32 million number | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 131.17 million number | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 125.33 million number | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 115.84 million number | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 106.74 million number | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 99.42 million number | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 111.41 million number | +12.1% |
| 2005 | 108.74 million number | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 107.85 million number | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 106.64 million number | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 105.17 million number | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 103.61 million number | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 102.08 million number | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 100.67 million number | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 99.75 million number | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 99.30 million number | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 99.28 million number | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 99.63 million number | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 100.23 million number | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 100.92 million number | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 101.65 million number | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 102.35 million number | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 102.98 million number | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 115.77 million number | 94.05 million number | 133.87 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 117.09 million number | 97.57 million number | 133.64 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 113.58 million number | 97.01 million number | 132.32 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 109.08 million number | 99.42 million number | 125.33 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 100.59 million number | 99.28 million number | 102.35 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 102.98 million number | 102.98 million number | 102.98 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)
More education data for China (People’s Republic of)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.74 million (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 15.4% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 99.64 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 99.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of)?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in China (People’s Republic of) was 102.98 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The highest recorded value was 133.87 million number in 1979.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The lowest recorded value was 94.05 million number in 1970.
- How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 2nd out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.