School age population, secondary education, female (number) (age) in China
China: School age population, secondary education, female (number) (age) was 45.90 million number in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
45.90 million number
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
2nd
of 205 countries
All-time high
77.58 million number
in 1985
All-time low
34.19 million number
in 1972
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, secondary education, female in China, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, secondary education, female in China is 45.90 million number, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, female in China peaked at 77.58 million number in 1985 and was at its lowest, 34.19 million number, in 1972.
That places China 2nd out of 205 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
School age population, secondary education, female (number) (age) in China, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.82 million number | — |
| 1971 | 34.73 million number | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 34.19 million number | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 34.51 million number | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 35.63 million number | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 37.26 million number | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 39.06 million number | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 50.10 million number | +28.3% |
| 1978 | 61.70 million number | +23.2% |
| 1979 | 64.76 million number | +4.9% |
| 1980 | 67.93 million number | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 71.12 million number | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 73.97 million number | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 75.95 million number | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 77.12 million number | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 77.58 million number | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 77.25 million number | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 75.90 million number | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 73.87 million number | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 71.39 million number | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 68.45 million number | -4.1% |
| 1991 | 65.19 million number | -4.8% |
| 1992 | 61.87 million number | -5.1% |
| 1993 | 59.45 million number | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 57.86 million number | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 56.82 million number | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 56.46 million number | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 57.67 million number | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 59.62 million number | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 62.12 million number | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 65.55 million number | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 69.75 million number | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 72.82 million number | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 74.34 million number | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 74.15 million number | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 72.04 million number | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 67.97 million number | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 63.27 million number | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 58.98 million number | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 55.61 million number | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 53.09 million number | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 51.54 million number | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 50.60 million number | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 49.83 million number | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 48.98 million number | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 48.15 million number | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 47.37 million number | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 46.70 million number | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 46.24 million number | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 45.99 million number | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 45.90 million number | -0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 45.90 million number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 329,098 number, 139.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 45.90 million number is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 121,936 number, 376.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, secondary education, female (number) (age) 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 | +28.3% | 39.06 million number | 50.10 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 42.78 million number | 34.19 million number | 64.76 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.21 million number | 67.93 million number | 77.58 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.55 million number | 56.46 million number | 68.45 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.45 million number | 55.61 million number | 74.34 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.85 million number | 45.99 million number | 53.09 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.90 million number | 45.90 million number | 45.90 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, secondary education, female in China?
- School age population, secondary education, female in China was 45.90 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, secondary education, female recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 77.58 million number in 1985.
- What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, female recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.19 million number in 1972.
- How does China rank for school age population, secondary education, female?
- China ranks 2nd out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, secondary education, female rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. 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, secondary education, female (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
Female population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.