India: School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, India's school enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) rose 0.02 on 2024 (from 1.05 to 1.07).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2024), the average change was +0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.03 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below 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 0.08 in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.04 in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.00562 a year. A straight line explains 31% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, India had the 7th highest value of the 10 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 2025 ranking

• Kazakhstan — 4th of 10: 1.17
• Georgia — 5th of 10: 1.16
• Uzbekistan — 6th of 10: 1.14
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 8th of 10: 1.03
• Mauritius — 9th of 10: 1
• Burundi — 10th of 10: 0.9

What this measures

Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.

Limitations: The gross enrolment ratio is a general measure of participation in tertiary education. However, it does not account for variations in the duration of programs between countries or across different levels of education and fields of study. While it is somewhat standardized by measuring it relative to a 5-year age group for all countries, it may still underestimate participation, particularly in countries with underdeveloped tertiary education systems or where offerings are limited to initial tertiary programs, which are typically shorter than 5 years in duration.

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

All 46 values

School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 0.77 (2024)
• Bhutan — 1.11 (2024)
• Nepal — 1.22 (2024)
• Sri Lanka — 1.4 (2023)

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
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is India's school enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)?

1.07 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 263.91% from 0.29 in 1971 (2.42% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.09 in 2020 and the lowest 0.29 in 1973.

How does India rank?

7th highest of 10 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) unusual for India?

In 2025, India's school enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) rose 0.02 on 2024 (from 1.05 to 1.07). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2024), the average change was +0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.03 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below 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.ENR.TERT.FM.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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