Education in Gansu, China: official figures
Gansu had 3,964 regular primary schools in 2024, out of 136,332 in mainland China.
How many primary school pupils are there in Gansu?
Gansu had 44,687 pupils enrolled in primary school in 2024 (12th highest 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 Gansu?
Primary schools in Gansu employed 151,990 full-time teachers in 2024.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in Gansu?
In Gansu there were 0.3 primary pupils for every full-time primary teacher in 2024 (7th highest 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 Gansu?
The average primary school in Gansu had 11 pupils in 2024, against 10 nationally.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many primary pupils in Gansu go to rural schools?
3026.3% of primary pupils in Gansu attended township or rural schools in 2024, against 4118.8% nationally; the rest were in city schools (8th 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 Gansu?
9.63% of people aged 15 and over in Gansu could not read or write in 2024 (2nd highest 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 Gansu?
In Gansu the illiteracy rate in 2024 was 5.34% for men and 14.00% for women aged 15 and over (nationally 1.40% and 4.83%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow Gansu compares with other provinces
Primary pupils per full-time teacher (2024)
Gansu ranks 7 of 31, highest first. Primary school enrolment divided by full-time teachers.
| Rank | Region | Primary pupils per full-time teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Guangxi | 0.3 |
| 5 | Henan | 0.3 |
| 6 | Qinghai | 0.3 |
| 7 | Gansu | 0.3 |
| 8 | Hebei | 0.3 |
| 9 | Guizhou | 0.3 |
| 10 | Hainan | 0.2 |
Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over (2024)
Gansu ranks 2 of 31, highest first. Sample survey estimate.
| Rank | Region | Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xizang (Tibet) | 31.52% |
| 2 | Gansu | 9.63% |
| 3 | Guizhou | 9.52% |
| 4 | Qinghai | 8.63% |
| 5 | Ningxia | 6.14% |
| 6 | Yunnan | 5.77% |
| 7 | Sichuan | 5.16% |
Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools (2024)
Gansu ranks 24 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Henan | 3385.0% |
| 22 | Guangxi | 3346.6% |
| 23 | Hainan | 3253.6% |
| 24 | Gansu | 3026.3% |
| 25 | Liaoning | 2816.6% |
| 26 | Xinjiang | 2796.8% |
| 27 | Yunnan | 2784.3% |
More on Gansu: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · China
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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