In 1870 the population of the United States had on average around four years of formal education—while those of the United Kingdom, Japan, France, India, and China were all below one year.[57] The United Kingdom, Japan, and France began quickly catching up to the United States during the early twentieth century as they expanded their free public schooling.[58] Meanwhile, India and China both remained poor and underdeveloped but took major leaps forward during the two decades after World War II.[59] By 2021 India averaged 6.7 years of education and China 7.6 years.[60] The other countries
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