School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China
China: School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes was 49.27 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
49.27 million number
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
2nd
of 205 countries
All-time high
81.43 million number
in 2005
All-time low
34.57 million number
in 1973
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China is 49.27 million number, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China peaked at 81.43 million number in 2005 and was at its lowest, 34.57 million number, in 1973.
China ranks 2nd of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.08 million number | — |
| 1971 | 36.79 million number | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 35.45 million number | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 34.57 million number | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 34.89 million number | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 36.47 million number | +4.5% |
| 1976 | 38.40 million number | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 38.40 million number | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 58.87 million number | +53.3% |
| 1979 | 61.60 million number | +4.6% |
| 1980 | 64.54 million number | +4.8% |
| 1981 | 67.80 million number | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 71.34 million number | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 74.74 million number | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 77.64 million number | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 79.60 million number | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 80.25 million number | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 79.81 million number | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 78.99 million number | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 77.83 million number | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 75.86 million number | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 72.83 million number | -4.0% |
| 1992 | 68.80 million number | -5.5% |
| 1993 | 64.83 million number | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 61.39 million number | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 58.87 million number | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 57.71 million number | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 57.97 million number | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 58.17 million number | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 58.59 million number | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 60.39 million number | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 64.24 million number | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 69.10 million number | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 74.72 million number | +8.1% |
| 2004 | 79.46 million number | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 81.43 million number | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 79.22 million number | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 74.27 million number | -6.3% |
| 2008 | 68.15 million number | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 62.51 million number | -8.3% |
| 2010 | 58.16 million number | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 55.82 million number | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 54.82 million number | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 54.25 million number | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 53.52 million number | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 52.72 million number | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 51.82 million number | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 50.91 million number | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 50.12 million number | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 49.57 million number | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 49.27 million number | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.35 million number | 34.57 million number | 61.60 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.25 million number | 64.54 million number | 80.25 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.50 million number | 57.71 million number | 75.86 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.35 million number | 60.39 million number | 81.43 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.17 million number | 49.57 million number | 58.16 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.27 million number | 49.27 million number | 49.27 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- 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, upper secondary education, both sexes in China?
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in China was 49.27 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 81.43 million number in 2005.
- What is the lowest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.57 million number in 1973.
- How does China rank for school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes?
- China ranks 2nd out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, upper 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 upper secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.