School girl of Indian ethnicity seating at corridor with laptop . Coronavirus Outbreak. Lockdown and school closures. Indian school small girl watching online education classes at home. COVID-19 pandemic forces children online learning.
| Photo Credit: Umesh Negi
Over the past decade, the share of private schools and the proportion of boys and girls enrolled in them have both increased across India, likely reinforcing each other. However, the share of girls attending private schools remains considerably lower than that of boys. In other words, while parents increasingly prefer private schooling, a considerable share of them still shows a slight preference for enrolling their sons over their daughters. Also, a relatively low number of girls are enrolled compared to boys in schools across northern and western India.
The below chart shows the share of government, government-aided, private, and other schools in 2012-13 and 2023-24. The share of government schools has fallen from 74.2% to 69.1%, whereas the share of private schools has increased from 17.2% to 22.5%.
The below chart shows the share of students enrolled in government, government-aided, private, and other schools in 2012-13 and 2023-24. The share of children enrolled in government schools has fallen from 57.3% to 51.4%, whereas the share of private schools has increased from 28.2% to 36.3%.
The below chart shows the gender-wise share of students enrolled in government and private schools in 2012-13 and 2023-24. For instance, in 2023-24, 54% of girls studied in government schools and 33% in private schools, while 49% of all boys studied in government schools and 39% in private schools.
The below chart shows the State-wise and gender-wise share of students enrolled in any school. In the northern and western States, the share of girls enrolled in any school is lower than India’s average of 48.1%.
The below chart shows the State-wise and gender-wise share of girls enrolled in government and private schools in 2023-24.
Published – July 23, 2025 08:00 am IST