Thursday, October 22 Beijing
  1. Home
  2. Statistics
  3. China
  4. Education & commute
  5. University enrolment
Education & commute Statistics · Country

University enrolment in China

1970 – 2024 · 51 data points 9 of 22 · Countries Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1970 – 2024

University enrolment, 1970 – 2024 percent · China · World
+33.2 pp since 2014
China World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1970 – 2024

Compared with University enrolment · percent
China
76.9%
World
43.6%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance China · 1970 – 2024
Latest value 76.9% · 2024
First value 0.1% · 1970
Highest 76.9% · 2024
Lowest 0.1% · 1970
Data points 51

By year

All years · 1970 – 2024

YearChinaChange World
2024 76.9% +2.3 pp 43.6%
2023 74.6% +3.0 pp 43.2%
2022 71.6% +4.8 pp 42.0%
2021 66.8% +5.2 pp 41.1%
2020 61.6% +5.0 pp 39.7%
2019 56.6% +3.2 pp 38.7%
2018 53.4% +2.3 pp 37.9%
2017 51.1% +1.8 pp 37.5%
2016 49.3% +2.2 pp 37.1%
2015 47.1% +3.4 pp 36.6%
2014 43.7% +11.0 pp 35.6%
2013 32.7% +3.4 pp 33.1%
2012 29.3% +2.5 pp 32.3%
2011 26.8% +1.5 pp 31.1%
2010 25.3% +2.0 pp 29.6%
2009 23.3% +1.4 pp 28.3%
2008 21.9% +0.4 pp 27.4%
2007 21.5% +0.9 pp 26.3%
2006 20.6% +1.9 pp 25.7%
2005 18.7% +1.8 pp 24.3%
2004 16.9% +2.4 pp 23.6%
2003 14.5% +2.7 pp 22.8%
2002 11.8% +2.5 pp 21.6%
2001 9.3% +1.7 pp 20.4%
2000 7.6% +1.0 pp 19.5%
1999 6.6% +0.4 pp 18.8%
1998 6.3% +0.5 pp 18.1%
1997 5.8% +0.5 pp 17.9%
1996 5.3% +0.6 pp 16.4%
1995 4.7% +0.9 pp 16.3%
1994 3.8% +0.8 pp 15.8%
1993 2.9% +0.1 pp 15.3%
1992 2.8% −0.1 pp 14.9%
1991 2.9% −0.1 pp 13.5%
1990 3.0% −0.0 pp 13.3%
1989 3.0% −0.1 pp 13.3%
1988 3.1% +0.0 pp 13.0%
1987 3.1% +0.3 pp 13.0%
1986 2.8% +0.6 pp 12.5%
1985 2.2% +0.3 pp 13.6%
1984 1.9% −0.1 pp 13.7%
1981 2.0% +0.8 pp 12.2%
1980 1.3% +0.3 pp 11.9%
1979 1.0% +0.3 pp 11.4%
1978 0.7% +0.1 pp 11.2%
1977 0.6% +0.1 pp 10.9%
1976 0.6% +0.1 pp 10.7%
1975 0.4% +0.1 pp 11.5%
1974 0.3% +0.1 pp 11.3%
1973 0.2% +0.1 pp 9.7%
1970 0.1% 17.4%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1970 – 2024

Ranking · Countries

2018 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUniversity enrolment
36 Bangladesh 19.6%
35 Honduras 26.4%
34 Philippines 28.1%
33 India 28.5%
32 Egypt 36.1%
31 Indonesia 36.1%
30 Mexico 41.6%
29 Lebanon 47.2%
28 Ecuador 47.3%
27 Romania 52.0%
26 Brazil 52.1%
25 Algeria 52.9%
24 China 53.4%
23 Colombia 57.3%
22 United Kingdom 61.1%
21 Italy 64.5%
20 Czechia 66.8%
19 France 67.5%
18 Germany 69.2%
17 Canada 69.4%
16 Poland 71.0%
15 Saudi Arabia 73.2%
14 Lithuania 77.4%
13 Hong Kong SAR China 78.2%
12 Russia 81.6%
11 Bulgaria 83.1%
10 Netherlands 83.7%
9 Norway 85.4%
8 United States 88.3%
7 Argentina 91.1%
6 Chile 91.2%
5 Finland 92.4%
4 Spain 92.5%
3 South Korea 93.3%
2 Türkiye 115.5%
1 Greece 141.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2018

What it means

How many young people study at universities and colleges.

How it is calculated

Students in tertiary education divided by the population of the five-year age group after secondary school (gross ratio, can exceed 100%).