Education in Xinjiang, China: official figures
Xinjiang had 3,400 regular primary schools in 2024, out of 136,332 in mainland China.
How many primary school pupils are there in Xinjiang?
Xinjiang had 69,558 pupils enrolled in primary school in 2024 (7th 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 Xinjiang?
Primary schools in Xinjiang employed 159,141 full-time teachers in 2024.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in Xinjiang?
In Xinjiang there were 0.4 primary pupils for every full-time primary teacher in 2024 (2nd 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 Xinjiang?
The average primary school in Xinjiang had 20 pupils in 2024, against 10 nationally.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many primary pupils in Xinjiang go to rural schools?
2796.8% of primary pupils in Xinjiang attended township or rural schools in 2024, against 4118.8% nationally; the rest were in city schools (6th 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 Xinjiang?
2.59% of people aged 15 and over in Xinjiang could not read or write in 2024 (15th 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 Xinjiang?
In Xinjiang the illiteracy rate in 2024 was 1.81% for men and 3.42% for women aged 15 and over (nationally 1.40% and 4.83%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow Xinjiang compares with other autonomous regions
Primary pupils per full-time teacher (2024)
Xinjiang ranks 2 of 31, highest first. Primary school enrolment divided by full-time teachers.
| Rank | Region | Primary pupils per full-time teacher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xizang (Tibet) | 0.5 |
| 2 | Xinjiang | 0.4 |
| 3 | Yunnan | 0.4 |
| 4 | Guangxi | 0.3 |
| 5 | Henan | 0.3 |
| 6 | Qinghai | 0.3 |
| 7 | Gansu | 0.3 |
Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over (2024)
Xinjiang ranks 15 of 31, highest first. Sample survey estimate.
| Rank | Region | Illiteracy rate, people aged 15 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Shaanxi | 3.02% |
| 13 | Hainan | 3.01% |
| 14 | Jiangxi | 2.93% |
| 15 | Xinjiang | 2.59% |
| 16 | Henan | 2.47% |
| 17 | Hubei | 2.39% |
| 18 | Guangxi | 2.37% |
Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools (2024)
Xinjiang ranks 26 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of primary pupils in township or rural schools |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Hainan | 3253.6% |
| 24 | Gansu | 3026.3% |
| 25 | Liaoning | 2816.6% |
| 26 | Xinjiang | 2796.8% |
| 27 | Yunnan | 2784.3% |
| 28 | Beijing | 2646.1% |
| 29 | Jilin | 2295.3% |
More on Xinjiang: 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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