Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 21.3 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean, 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2018, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 21.3. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 31.88 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 21.3, in 2018.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 26th of 41 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 31.88 | — |
| 1971 | 31.81 | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 31.7 | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 31.67 | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 31.33 | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 31.15 | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 31.09 | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 30.95 | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 30.76 | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 30.51 | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 30.35 | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 30.15 | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 29.72 | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 29.37 | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 29.11 | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 28.85 | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 28.22 | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 27.95 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 27.6 | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 27.27 | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 27.15 | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 27.01 | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 26.69 | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 26.37 | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 25.99 | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 25.86 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 25.55 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 25.34 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 25.6 | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 25.93 | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 25.43 | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 24.51 | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 24.11 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 23.79 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 23.83 | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 23.53 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 23.66 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 23.91 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 23.56 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 23.4 | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 23.06 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 22.72 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 22.25 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 22.25 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 21.96 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 21.72 | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 21.56 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 21.34 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 21.3 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.29 | 30.51 | 31.88 | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.86 | 27.27 | 30.35 | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.15 | 25.34 | 27.15 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.97 | 23.4 | 25.43 | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.02 | 21.3 | 23.06 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 104.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.005 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 3.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 104.6% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 104.6% (2024)
- Labor force, total 325.05 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Latin America & Caribbean was 21.3 in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 31.88 in 1970.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3 in 2018.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 26th out of 41 groups with data for 2018.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.