Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China
China: Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education was 16.31 pupils per teacher in 2024. ▼ Falling
Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China, 2015–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in pupils per teacher.
Analysis
China recorded 16.31 pupils per teacher for pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China peaked at 17.2 pupils per teacher in 2017 and was at its lowest, 16.22 pupils per teacher, in 2023.
China ranks 72nd of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China, year by year
| Year | pupils per teacher | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 16.85 pupils per teacher | — |
| 2016 | 17.12 pupils per teacher | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 17.2 pupils per teacher | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 17.02 pupils per teacher | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 17.01 pupils per teacher | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 16.89 pupils per teacher | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 16.71 pupils per teacher | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 16.37 pupils per teacher | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 16.22 pupils per teacher | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 16.31 pupils per teacher | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.04 pupils per teacher | 16.85 pupils per teacher | 17.2 pupils per teacher | 5 |
| 2020s | 16.5 pupils per teacher | 16.22 pupils per teacher | 16.89 pupils per teacher | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 69 Micronesia (country) 17.45 pupils per teacher compare
- 70 Jordan 17.34 pupils per teacher compare
- 71 Trinidad and Tobago 16.44 pupils per teacher compare
- 73 Tunisia 15.81 pupils per teacher compare
- 74 Azerbaijan 15.61 pupils per teacher compare
- 75 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15.36 pupils per teacher compare
More education data for China
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.74 million (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 15.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China?
- Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education in China was 16.31 pupils per teacher in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest pupils per qualified teacher in primary education recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2 pupils per teacher in 2017.
- What is the lowest pupils per qualified teacher in primary education recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.22 pupils per teacher in 2023.
- How does China rank for pupils per qualified teacher in primary education?
- China ranks 72nd out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
- Is pupils per qualified teacher in primary education rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
A qualified teacher is one who has the minimum academic qualifications necessary to teach at a primary level of education in a given country.