Share of the world population with at least basic education in India
India: Share of the world population with at least basic education was 27.63 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of the world population with at least basic education in India, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
India recorded 27.63 for share of the world population with at least basic education in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the world population with at least basic education in India peaked at 71.07 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 27.63, in 2020.
That places India 2nd out of 25 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of the world population with at least basic education in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.07 | — |
| 1955 | 69.9 | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 68.3 | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 66.08 | -3.2% |
| 1970 | 62.82 | -4.9% |
| 1975 | 59.59 | -5.1% |
| 1980 | 56.49 | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 53.31 | -5.6% |
| 1990 | 49.86 | -6.5% |
| 1995 | 46.18 | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 42.23 | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 38.01 | -10.0% |
| 2010 | 33.52 | -11.8% |
| 2015 | 29.65 | -11.5% |
| 2020 | 27.63 | -6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 70.49 | 69.9 | 71.07 | 2 |
| 1960s | 67.19 | 66.08 | 68.3 | 2 |
| 1970s | 61.2 | 59.59 | 62.82 | 2 |
| 1980s | 54.9 | 53.31 | 56.49 | 2 |
| 1990s | 48.02 | 46.18 | 49.86 | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.12 | 38.01 | 42.23 | 2 |
| 2010s | 31.59 | 29.65 | 33.52 | 2 |
| 2020s | 27.63 | 27.63 | 27.63 | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.38 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.88 (2025)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the world population with at least basic education in India?
- Share of the world population with at least basic education in India was 27.63 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the world population with at least basic education recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 71.07 in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of the world population with at least basic education recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.63 in 2020.
- How does India rank for share of the world population with at least basic education?
- India ranks 2nd out of 25 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the world population with at least basic education rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the world population with at least basic education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).