India: School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 10.34 percentage points from 34.78% in 2015. Since 2000 it is up 28.59 percentage points from 16.53% in 2000. The World Bank has no value for 10 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2020, India's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 1.35 percentage points on 2019 (from 43.77% to 45.12%).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +1.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 8.12 percentage points in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.36 percentage points in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, India had the 3rd highest value of the 15 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to India in the 2020 ranking

• Liberia — 1st of 15: 49.63%
• Brunei Darussalam — 3rd of 15: 41.19%
• Guinea — 4th of 15: 35.47%
• Nepal — 5th of 15: 25.38%

What this measures

Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.

Limitations: Religious or private schools, which are not registered with the government or don't follow the common national curriculum, may not be captured.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 11 values

School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 23.9% (2018)
• Bhutan — 3.65% (2020)
• Maldives — 5.28% (2024)
• Nepal — 25.38% (2020)
• Sri Lanka — 3.19% (2020)

More education data for India

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 126.12 million (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 111.03% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 110.61% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 111.42% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2021)
• Secondary education, pupils — 133.16 million (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is India's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)?

45.12% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 28.59 percentage points from 16.53% in 2000. The highest value was 45.12% in 2020 and the lowest 15.35% in 2002.

How does India rank?

3rd highest of 15 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) unusual for India?

In 2020, India's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 1.35 percentage points on 2019 (from 43.77% to 45.12%). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2019), the average change was +1.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.PRIV.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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