There were approximately 1.23 million deaths reported among individuals aged 5–19 years worldwide in 2017. Limited attention has been paid to current mortality among primary and secondary school students aged 6–18 years in China.

In 2018, an estimated 28,519 deaths occurred among primary and secondary school students aged 6–18 years in China with an age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of 17.66 per 100,000. Substantial disparities existed among sexes, age groups, areas, and regions for different causes of death. Drowning, road traffic injuries, and leukemia were three leading causes of death.

Government support, legislation enforcement, multisectoral cooperation, and stakeholder engagement should be initiated to reduce premature deaths among primary and secondary school students in China, especially those due to injuries.

Child injury is a serious public health problem in China. The epidemiological characteristics injuries related to primary and secondary school students were usually reported from school-based population surveys conducted in developed regions of China. Medical and health institution-based data were rarely adopted to explore the typical patterns of injury occurrence among primary and secondary school students in China.

This study found that among primary and secondary school students with injury diagnosis in the National Injury Surveillance System (NISS), the high-risk group of primary and secondary school students with injury diagnosis was male students. The frequent incidence season was spring and early summer. Noon was the peak incidence time. Falling was the most common cause of injury among students, but other frequent causes of injury differs in students with different education levels. Home and school were the most common places where injury occurs. Students were more likely to suffer injury when they were engaged in leisure and sport activities. Limbs and the head were easily injured with contusions/bruises.

Medical and health institution-based data could be an additional data source for student-related injury research. Typical patterns could be summarized to provide data-driven basis for the improved formulation of injury prevention and control strategies and measures towards students. The characteristics of injury events differs in students with different education levels and requires more specific attentions towards students when conducting relevant programs in school and school-related places.