China
Last updated May 3, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Emerging readiness
China demonstrates early-stage readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (57th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 57th
- Global rank
- #77
- Regional rank
- #15
- Viewing data for
Country profile
China shows strong future-readiness momentum, with clear strengths in Innovation (72, 93rd percentile).
Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.
Robust R&D investment supports a dynamic ecosystem for innovation and knowledge production. Regulatory quality falls short of global standards, signalling structural hurdles in policy execution. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.
Governance presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning.
Areas with room to grow: Infrastructure (65, 63rd percentile), Human Capital (56, 66th percentile), GEFRI Composite (55, 57th percentile), Governance (43, 45th percentile), and School Access and Gender Parity (40, 40th percentile). These dimensions sit close to global norms and could accelerate quickly with targeted investment.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Places 77th worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 15th within East Asia & Pacific.
- Scores range from Innovation (71.8) to Access & Parity (39.9), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Leads regional peers most clearly in Innovation.
Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific
Composite GEFRI Score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 78.84 |
| 3 | 2 | Korea, Rep. | 78.17 |
| 4 | 3 | Singapore | 77.81 |
| 12 | 4 | Australia | 75.95 |
| 13 | 5 | Japan | 75.88 |
| 19 | 6 | New Zealand | 73.08 |
| — | — | NauruMicrostate | 61.59 |
| — | — | Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate | 61.43 |
| 48 | 7 | Brunei Darussalam | 61.13 |
| — | — | American SamoaMicrostate | 61.09 |
| 49 | 8 | Macao SAR, China | 61.06 |
| — | — | GuamMicrostate | 60.74 |
| 50 | 9 | Thailand | 60.74 |
| 53 | 10 | Indonesia | 60.55 |
| 55 | 11 | Fiji | 60.34 |
| — | — | New CaledoniaMicrostate | 59.24 |
| — | — | French PolynesiaMicrostate | 58.11 |
| — | — | PalauMicrostate | 57.53 |
| 67 | 12 | Viet Nam | 57.46 |
| 69 | 13 | Mongolia | 57.00 |
| 73 | 14 | Malaysia | 56.66 |
| 77 | 15 | China | 55.08 |
| 85 | 16 | Philippines | 52.64 |
| — | — | SamoaMicrostate | 51.59 |
| — | — | TuvaluFCSMicrostate | 49.72 |
| — | — | TongaMicrostate | 48.28 |
| — | — | KiribatiFCSMicrostate | 46.97 |
| — | — | Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate | 46.38 |
| — | — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate | 42.67 |
| 110 | 17 | Timor-LesteFCS | 41.47 |
| 111 | 18 | Vanuatu | 41.25 |
| 122 | 19 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 36.56 |
| 127 | 20 | Cambodia | 33.92 |
| 128 | 21 | MyanmarFCS | 33.78 |
| 136 | 22 | Lao PDR | 31.66 |
| 138 | 23 | Solomon IslandsFCS | 31.58 |
| 151 | 24 | Papua New GuineaFCS | 26.21 |