Education in Beijing, China: official figures
Beijing had 709 regular primary schools in 2024, out of 136,332 in mainland China.
How many primary school pupils are there in Beijing?
Beijing had 5,223 pupils enrolled in primary school in 2024 (2nd lowest of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions; 1,339,305 nationally).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many primary school teachers are there in Beijing?
Primary schools in Beijing employed 80,461 full-time teachers in 2024.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in Beijing?
In Beijing there were 0.1 primary pupils for every full-time primary teacher in 2024 (3rd lowest of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions; national figure 0.2). This is enrolment divided by full-time teachers.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow big are primary schools in Beijing?
The average primary school in Beijing had 7 pupils in 2024, against 10 nationally.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many primary pupils in Beijing go to rural schools?
2646.1% of primary pupils in Beijing attended township or rural schools in 2024, against 4118.8% nationally; the rest were in city schools (4th lowest of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions for rural share).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the illiteracy rate in Beijing?
0.56% of people aged 15 and over in Beijing could not read or write in 2024 (the lowest of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions; national figure 3.09%). The yearbook takes this from the 2024 national sample survey on population changes, a 1.028 per thousand sample, so small regions carry more sampling error.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the female illiteracy rate in Beijing?
In Beijing the illiteracy rate in 2024 was 0.20% for men and 0.92% for women aged 15 and over (nationally 1.40% and 4.83%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow Beijing compares with other municipalities
Primary pupils per full-time teacher (2024)
Beijing ranks 29 of 31, highest first. Primary school enrolment divided by full-time teachers.
| Rank | Region | Primary pupils per full-time teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Heilongjiang | 0.1 |
| 26 | Shaanxi | 0.1 |
| 27 | Tianjin | 0.1 |
| 28 | Zhejiang | 0.1 |
| 29 | Beijing | 0.1 |
| 30 | Jiangsu | 0.1 |
| 31 | Shanghai | 0.0 |
Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over (2024)
Beijing ranks 31 of 31, highest first. Sample survey estimate.
| Rank | Region | Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Shanghai | 1.51% |
| 26 | Hebei | 1.44% |
| 27 | Shanxi | 1.39% |
| 28 | Jilin | 1.18% |
| 29 | Tianjin | 1.06% |
| 30 | Liaoning | 0.75% |
| 31 | Beijing | 0.56% |
Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools (2024)
Beijing ranks 28 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Liaoning | 2816.6% |
| 26 | Xinjiang | 2796.8% |
| 27 | Yunnan | 2784.3% |
| 28 | Beijing | 2646.1% |
| 29 | Jilin | 2295.3% |
| 30 | Tianjin | 2213.1% |
| 31 | Xizang (Tibet) | 2086.8% |
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Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 2-14 Illiterate Population Aged 15 and Over by Gender and Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 90b33b452d5a…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 21-19 Statistics on Primary Schools by Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fd3519674d5d…)
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