In Tamil Nadu’s schools, boys outnumber girls in every stage from Class 1 to Class 10, and then the order flips. In Classes 11 and 12, there were 9,21,941 girls against 8,48,319 boys in 2024-25, according to UDISE+ 2024-25, the Ministry of Education’s school census.
The dropout figures point to one reason. At the secondary stage, Classes 9 and 10, 11.6% of boys dropped out against 5.3% of girls, the ministry told the Rajya Sabha in March 2026. More boys start school, and more of them leave before Class 11.
- Girls are on the left, boys on the right. Each row is a stage of school, and bar length is the number of students in lakh.
- The stages cover different numbers of classes (five, three, two and two), so a shorter bar lower down does not mean that many children left.
- The figures include all schools: government, aided and private.
Boys lead early, girls lead late
UDISE+ counted 58,21,597 boys and 56,06,927 girls in Classes 1 to 12. In Classes 1 to 5, boys led by 1,38,472. The gap narrowed to about 1.02 lakh in Classes 6 to 8 and 48,228 in Classes 9 and 10. In Classes 11 and 12, girls were ahead by 73,622, making up 52.1% of the stage.
The dropout chart shows where the change happens. In primary and upper primary, the rates for boys and girls are within a point of each other, between 2.4% and 3.2%. At the secondary stage the boys’ rate more than doubles the girls’. The girls’ secondary rate has moved between 2.5% and 6.4% in the five years from 2020-21, per a Lok Sabha reply of March 2026.
Tamil Nadu’s gross enrolment ratio for Classes 11 and 12 in 2024-25, against 58.4 for India, per a Rajya Sabha reply of February 2026.
How many children of school age are enrolled
The gross enrolment ratio compares students at a stage with the population of the matching age. Tamil Nadu is above the national figure at every stage, and furthest ahead in Classes 11 and 12.
The ratio is highest in Classes 6 to 8, at 97.6, and lowest in Classes 11 and 12.
The numbers behind the graphic
| Stage | Girls | Boys | Total | Dropout, girls | Dropout, boys | GER, all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classes 1-5 (primary) | 22,14,357 | 23,52,829 | 45,67,186 | 2.5% | 2.9% | 91.6 |
| Classes 6-8 (upper primary) | 14,85,163 | 15,86,755 | 30,71,918 | 2.4% | 3.2% | 97.6 |
| Classes 9-10 (secondary) | 9,85,466 | 10,33,694 | 20,19,160 | 5.3% | 11.6% | 95.5 |
| Classes 11-12 (higher secondary) | 9,21,941 | 8,48,319 | 17,70,260 | not reported | not reported | 83.4 |
| Classes 1-12 | 56,06,927 | 58,21,597 | 1,14,28,524 |
Source: enrolment from UDISE+ 2024-25, Table 5.6 (all managements), Ministry of Education; dropout rates from UDISE+ 2024-25 as given in the annexure to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 3723 (25 March 2026); GER from UDISE+ 2024-25 as given in the annexure to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 536 (4 February 2026).
About the data
UDISE+ collects figures from every recognised school each year. The enrolment counts above are for 2024-25 and cover Classes 1 to 12 in all managements; another 10,89,643 children were in pre-primary classes. UDISE+ publishes state figures by stage, not by single class, so the graphic uses the four stages. Dropout rates are not published for Classes 11 and 12.
A newer edition, UDISE+ 2025-26, has since been released, as a PIB backgrounder of August 2026 describes, but its state-wise tables were not available on the official pages we could open. The 2024-25 figures will be replaced when they are.
Quick answers
How many students are in Tamil Nadu schools?
UDISE+ 2024-25 counted 1,14,28,524 students in Classes 1 to 12, and 1,25,18,167 including pre-primary.
Are there more girls or boys in Tamil Nadu’s higher secondary classes?
Girls. They were 9,21,941 of the 17,70,260 students in Classes 11 and 12, or 52.1%.
What is Tamil Nadu’s school dropout rate?
In 2024-25 it was 2.7% at primary, 2.8% at upper primary and 8.5% at secondary level, with boys at 11.6% in Classes 9 and 10.
Information checked against official sources on 22 October 2026. Figures can be revised; confirm on the linked official pages before relying on them.
Sources
- UDISE+ 2024-25, existing structure report (Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education)
- UDISE+ 2024-25 Table 5.6, enrolment by gender and level, all managements (reproduced from the Ministry of Education report)
- Annexure to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 3723, dropout rate in schools, 25 March 2026 (Ministry of Education)
- Annexure to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 536, gross enrolment ratio by level, 4 February 2026 (Ministry of Education)
- Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3681, adolescent girls’ dropouts, 16 March 2026 (Ministry of Education)
- Decoding India’s School Education Progress: UDISE+ 2025-26 Report, August 2026 (PIB)
