Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China
China: Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index was 1.02 index in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in index.
Analysis
In 2024, primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China stood at 1.02 index. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China peaked at 1.02 index in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.7242 index, in 1974.
That places China 33rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 0.7242 index | — |
| 1975 | 0.8187 index | +13.1% |
| 1976 | 0.87 index | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 0.8795 index | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 0.8762 index | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 0.8612 index | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 0.8592 index | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8493 index | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 0.8296 index | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 0.8199 index | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 0.8227 index | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 0.8256 index | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 0.8597 index | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 0.8801 index | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 0.8822 index | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 0.892 index | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.8999 index | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 0.9135 index | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.9263 index | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 0.9331 index | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.9447 index | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 0.9583 index | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 0.9719 index | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 0.985 index | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 0.9996 index | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 1.01 index | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.01 index | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.01 index | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 1.01 index | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.01 index | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 1 index | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 1 index | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.01 index | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 1.01 index | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 1.01 index | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.01 index | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.01 index | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.02 index | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 1.02 index | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.02 index | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.02 index | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.02 index | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.02 index | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 1.02 index | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 1.02 index | +0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.02 index is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.9951 index, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 1.02 index is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9953 index, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8383 index | 0.7242 index | 0.8795 index | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.852 index | 0.8199 index | 0.892 index | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.948 index | 0.8999 index | 0.9996 index | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.01 index | 1.01 index | 1.01 index | 5 |
| 2010s | 1.01 index | 1 index | 1.02 index | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.02 index | 1.02 index | 1.02 index | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 30 Malawi 1.02 index compare
- 31 Cayman Islands 1.02 index compare
- 32 Marshall Islands 1.02 index compare
- 34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.02 index compare
- 35 Ukraine 1.02 index compare
- 36 Burundi 1.02 index compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China?
- Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index in China was 1.02 index in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 index in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7242 index in 1974.
- How does China rank for primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index?
- China ranks 33rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary school life expectancy, adjusted gender parity index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An adjusted gender parity index of 1 indicates equality in the expected number of years a child of school entrance age is likely to spend in primary school between boys and girls. Values below 1 favor boys, and above 1 favor girls.