Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia
Australia: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 17.88 in 1999. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia, 1971–1999
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Australia recorded 17.88 for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in 1999.
The figure is up 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia peaked at 25.12 in 1971 and was at its lowest, 15.61, in 1984.
Australia ranks 105th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 25.12 | — |
| 1972 | 24.21 | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 23.59 | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 21.65 | -8.2% |
| 1975 | 20.83 | -3.8% |
| 1976 | 20.05 | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 19.47 | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 19.34 | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 18.87 | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 18.72 | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 15.61 | -16.6% |
| 1986 | 16.76 | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 16.6 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 16.63 | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 16.76 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 16.59 | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 16.57 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.58 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 18.15 | +9.4% |
| 1996 | 18.07 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 17.88 | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 17.88 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 17.88 | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 17.88 is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.51, 1.3× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Australia's 17.88 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 20.15, 89% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.46 | 18.87 | 25.12 | 9 |
| 1980s | 16.85 | 15.61 | 18.72 | 6 |
| 1990s | 17.45 | 16.57 | 18.15 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Australia was 17.88 in 1999, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 25.12 in 1971.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.61 in 1984.
- How does Australia rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- Australia ranks 105th out of 199 countries with data for 1999.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Pupil-teacher ratio, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.