Four in 10 Indian schoolchildren were enrolled in private unaided schools in 2025-26, up from 35.4 percent in 2018-19, according to Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE ) data.

Private-school enrolment increased by about 3 million in the past year, while government schools—where 48 percent of children are enrolled—saw their numbers decline by about 2.7 million.

In 12 states and two Union territories (UTs), more than half the students went to private schools. Bihar, Goa and Jharkhand had less than 20 percent enrolment in private schools, while West Bengal had under 10 percent.

Parents are increasingly choosing private schools at lower levels: 71 percent students in pre-primary or kindergarten and 40 percent in primary (grades I to V) were in private schools. In contrast, about 10 percent of students at the primary level were in government schools.

Research studies show, and experts say, that perceptions of learning, affordability, school performance and availability of English-medium instruction affect parents’ choices.

Choosing a private school also comes at a higher cost. Average annual education-related expenditure was Rs 28,693 per student in private schools, compared with Rs 2,863 in government schools, as ISignal reported in April 2026.

In three charts, we examine the changing pattern of India’s school enrolment.

Private enrolment recovers after pandemic

The number of students in private unaided schools increased from 92.2 million in 2018-19 to 98.9 million in 2025-26. Government-school enrolment fell from 131.1 million to 118.9 million during the same period. The pandemic interrupted these trends, and since then, government-school enrolment has declined each year, while private-school enrolment has recovered.

The number of government schools also declined by 78,500 over this period to reach 1.01 million in 2025-26, with the largest decline (more than 51,000) seen in 2019-20. The private sector, in contrast, saw a net increase of about 15,000 schools, adding up to about 342,000 schools in 2025-26, UDISE data show.

A 2019 review of private schooling in India noted that the growth was linked to demand from parents and that low-fee private schools account for a substantial part of the........

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