State-Wise Gross Enrolment Ratio for Secondary Level (Class IX to XII) — India 2024-25

 Overview

The infographic titled "State-wise Gross Enrolment Ratio for Secondary Level (Class IX to XII)" presents a comprehensive, state-by-state breakdown of the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) across India for the academic year 2024-2025. The values are expressed as percentages and are shown on a 3D map of India, with varying shades of blue indicating different levels of enrolment.

The All India GER stands at 68.5 percent, the national benchmark against which individual states and union territories can be compared. A note at the bottom clarifies that GER exceeds 100 percent in few states because of late enrolment, early starts, and grade repetition — meaning students studied  outside states the official secondary school age group are also counted in the enrolment figures.

Northern Region

Starting from the northernmost parts of India:

• Jammu and Kashmir (JK): Records a GER of 55.2%, one of the lower figures in the country, reflecting geographic and infrastructural challenges in the region.
• Ladakh: Surprisingly performs better than J&K with a GER of 70.4%, slightly above the national average, which is notable given its remote and high-altitude terrain.
• Himachal Pradesh (HP): Shows a strong GER of 93.6%, well above the national average, reflecting the state's historically strong emphasis on education.
• Uttarakhand: Records 87.1%, also significantly above the national average, indicating good educational infrastructure in the hill state.
• Chandigarh: As a Union Territory and major urban centre, Chandigarh achieves an impressive 108.7%, surpassing the 100% mark due to the influx of students from neighbouring states.
• Punjab (PB): Records 86%, a solid figure reflecting the state's overall development and literacy drive.
• Haryana (HR): Shows a GER of 81%, comfortably above the national average, reflecting growing awareness of secondary education in the state.
• Delhi: The national capital records 91.7%, a high figure driven by dense population, urban infrastructure, and government school reforms.
• Uttar Pradesh: Despite being the most populous state in India, UP records a GER of 60.9%, below the national average, highlighting the massive challenge of educating its large and geographically spread-out population. Some political issue.
• Rajasthan: Records 74.2%, above the national average, showing improvement in secondary education access across the state.

Western Region

• Gujarat: Records a GER of 61%, slightly below the national average, suggesting scope for improvement in secondary enrolment despite the state's economic progress.
• Maharashtra: The country's second-most populous state records 82.1%, a strong figure that reflects the state's focus on urban and rural education alike.
• Goa : Records an extraordinary 100.8%, crossing the 100% threshold and reflecting near-universal secondary enrolment in this small, prosperous coastal state.
• DNH & DD (Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu): Records 86.4%, a healthy figure for this union territory.
• Lakshadweep: Records 65.3%, slightly below the national average, likely due to its island geography and smaller population base.

Central Region

• Madhya Pradesh: Records 56.7%, one of the lower figures in the country for a major state, indicating significant gaps in secondary enrolment and a need for policy intervention.
• Chhattisgarh (CG): Records 65.6%, somewhat below the national average, reflecting the challenges of educating a largely rural and tribal population.
• Jharkhand: Records 60.6%, also below the national average, with similar challenges of tribal, forest, and rural populations with limited access to secondary schools.
• Bihar: Records the lowest GER among all states at 44.7%, a deeply concerning figure that underscores the significant educational access challenges in the country's most densely populated state. Bihar's poor GER reflects poverty, dropout rates, and inadequate secondary school infrastructure.

Eastern Region

• West Bengal (WB): Records a commendable 75.2%, above the national average, reflecting relatively better educational infrastructure in the state.
• Odisha: Records 72.3%, above the national average, showing improvement in secondary education access in this eastern state.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Records 89.1%, an impressive figure for a remote island union territory.

Southern Region

• Andhra Pradesh (AP): Records 78.5%, above the national average, reflecting strong government initiatives in school education.
• Telangana (TG): Records 83.6%, a strong figure that reflects the relatively young state's investment in education.
• Karnataka (KA): Records 81.3%, above the national average, driven by its urban centres like Bengaluru and strong state education policies.
• Tamil Nadu (TN): Records 89.4%, one of the highest figures in the country, reflecting Tamil Nadu's long-standing emphasis on education and high literacy rates.
• Kerala: Records 94.1%, the second-highest among all states, consistent with Kerala's reputation as one of India's most educated and literate states.
• Puducherry: As a Union Territory, Puducherry achieves 96.9%, among the highest in the country, demonstrating near-universal secondary enrolment in this small but well-administered region.

North-eastern Region

• Sikkim: Records 60.2%, slightly below the national average.
• Arunachal Pradesh (AR): Records 56.7%, below the national average, reflecting geographic and infrastructure challenges.
• Assam: Records 61.5%, marginally below the national average, with room for improvement.
• Meghalaya: Records 62.5%, slightly below the national average.
• Nagaland: Records 50.5%, one of the lowest figures in the country, reflecting deep-rooted access and infrastructure issues.
• Manipur: Records 68.7%, approximately at the national average level.
• Tripura: Records 67.7%, close to the national average.
• Mizoram: Records 73.7%, above the national average, making it one of the better-performing north-eastern states.

Key Takeaways

The data paints a vivid picture of India's educational landscape. Top performers include Chandigarh (108.7%), Puducherry (96.9%), Kerala (94.1%), HP (93.6%), and Tamil Nadu (89.4%). States of concern include Bihar (44.7%), Nagaland (50.5%), J&K (55.2%), Madhya Pradesh (56.7%), and Arunachal Pradesh (56.7%). The national average of 68.5% indicates that nearly one-third of secondary-age children are still outside the formal school system, pointing to the critical need for continued investment in education infrastructure, teacher training, and student retention programs across India.