School age population, primary education, female (number) (population) in India

India: School age population, primary education, female (number) (population) was 54.55 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
54.55 million
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
1st
of 222 countries
All-time high
59.78 million
in 2011
All-time low
34.38 million
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025

School age population, primary education, female in India, 1970–2025

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019972025

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

India recorded 54.55 million for school age population, primary education, female in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, female in India peaked at 59.78 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 34.38 million, in 1970.

India ranks 1st of 222 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.

School age population, primary education, female (number) (population) in India, year by year

Annual values for School age population, primary education, female (number) in India, 1970 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1970 34.38 million —
1971 35.12 million +2.1%
1972 35.78 million +1.9%
1973 36.43 million +1.8%
1974 37.09 million +1.8%
1975 37.79 million +1.9%
1976 38.48 million +1.8%
1977 39.22 million +1.9%
1978 40.04 million +2.1%
1979 40.87 million +2.1%
1980 41.74 million +2.1%
1981 42.67 million +2.2%
1982 43.56 million +2.1%
1983 44.47 million +2.1%
1984 45.31 million +1.9%
1985 46.10 million +1.8%
1986 46.96 million +1.9%
1987 48.00 million +2.2%
1988 49.02 million +2.1%
1989 50.14 million +2.3%
1990 51.33 million +2.4%
1991 52.52 million +2.3%
1992 53.58 million +2.0%
1993 54.69 million +2.1%
1994 55.64 million +1.7%
1995 56.50 million +1.5%
1996 57.23 million +1.3%
1997 57.84 million +1.1%
1998 58.29 million +0.8%
1999 58.00 million -0.5%
2000 55.05 million -5.1%
2001 56.16 million +2.0%
2002 56.41 million +0.4%
2003 56.61 million +0.4%
2004 56.82 million +0.4%
2005 57.05 million +0.4%
2006 57.32 million +0.5%
2007 57.70 million +0.7%
2008 58.11 million +0.7%
2009 58.40 million +0.5%
2010 58.57 million +0.3%
2011 59.78 million +2.1%
2012 59.47 million -0.5%
2013 59.02 million -0.8%
2014 58.61 million -0.7%
2015 58.31 million -0.5%
2016 58.08 million -0.4%
2017 57.87 million -0.4%
2018 57.69 million -0.3%
2019 57.48 million -0.4%
2020 57.09 million -0.7%
2021 56.63 million -0.8%
2022 56.17 million -0.8%
2023 55.64 million -0.9%
2024 55.10 million -1.0%
2025 54.55 million -1.0%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 54.55 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 728,412, 74.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • India's 54.55 million is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.08 million, 50.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 37.52 million 34.38 million 40.87 million 10
1980s 45.80 million 41.74 million 50.14 million 10
1990s 55.56 million 51.33 million 58.29 million 10
2000s 56.96 million 55.05 million 58.40 million 10
2010s 58.49 million 57.48 million 59.78 million 10
2020s 55.86 million 54.55 million 57.09 million 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 2 China 49.00 million compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 18.58 million compare
  3. 4 Pakistan 14.86 million compare

See the full ranking of 443 places →

More education data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, primary education, female in India?
School age population, primary education, female in India was 54.55 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, primary education, female recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 59.78 million in 2011.
What is the lowest school age population, primary education, female recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 34.38 million in 1970.
How does India rank for school age population, primary education, female?
India ranks 1st out of 222 countries with data for 2025.
Is school age population, primary education, female rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. 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, primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, primary education, female in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-primary-education-female-number-2/india/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, primary education, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
443 places, 20,724 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release