School enrollment, preprimary in China
China: School enrollment, preprimary was 93.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
School enrollment, preprimary in China, 1974–2021
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
China recorded 93.1% for school enrollment, preprimary in 2021. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 55.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, preprimary in China peaked at 93.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 1974.
That places China 49th out of 197 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School enrollment, preprimary in China, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 2.3% | — |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +6.8% |
| 1976 | 5.7% | +135.6% |
| 1977 | 13.0% | +128.8% |
| 1978 | 8.6% | -33.8% |
| 1979 | 7.9% | -8.6% |
| 1980 | 9.1% | +15.9% |
| 1981 | 12.4% | +36.3% |
| 1982 | 12.0% | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 13.4% | +11.7% |
| 1984 | 14.5% | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 16.9% | +16.6% |
| 1986 | 19.5% | +15.3% |
| 1987 | 21.0% | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 22.4% | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 21.9% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 20.9% | -4.6% |
| 1991 | 21.5% | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 22.7% | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 23.5% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 23.6% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 24.6% | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 26.0% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 27.5% | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 40.8% | +48.6% |
| 1999 | 44.9% | +10.0% |
| 2000 | 44.9% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 40.1% | -10.4% |
| 2003 | 39.2% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 42.6% | +8.6% |
| 2007 | 44.8% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 47.1% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 50.2% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 53.7% | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 59.9% | +11.7% |
| 2012 | 68.4% | +14.1% |
| 2013 | 72.8% | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 76.1% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 78.7% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 82.4% | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 84.8% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 88.1% | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 89.1% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 90.5% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 93.1% | +2.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 93.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 71.8%, 1.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 93.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 74.4%, 1.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, preprimary 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +135.6% | 2.4% | 5.7% |
| 1977 | +128.8% | 5.7% | 13.0% |
| 1998 | +48.6% | 27.5% | 40.8% |
| 1978 | -33.8% | 13.0% | 8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.6% | 2.3% | 13.0% | 6 |
| 1980s | 16.3% | 9.1% | 22.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.6% | 20.9% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.2% | 39.2% | 50.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 75.4% | 53.7% | 89.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.8% | 90.5% | 93.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, preprimary in China?
- School enrollment, preprimary in China was 93.1% in 2021, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 93.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 1974.
- How does China rank for school enrollment, preprimary?
- China ranks 49th out of 197 countries with data for 2021.
- Is school enrollment, preprimary rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, preprimary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.