Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America
North America: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 14.43 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America, 1983–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America is 14.43, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America peaked at 16.18 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 13.84, in 2010.
North America ranks 38th of 43 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 14.19 | — |
| 1984 | 14.19 | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 14.3 | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 14.4 | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 14.65 | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 14.85 | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 15.06 | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 15.32 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 15.53 | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 15.77 | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 16.08 | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 16.06 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 16.18 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 16.07 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 15.97 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 15.85 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 15.56 | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 15.19 | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 15.6 | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 15.03 | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 15.01 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 14.45 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 14.35 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 14.06 | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 14.04 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 13.93 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 14.11 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 13.84 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 14.49 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 14.63 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 14.66 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 14.74 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 14.67 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 14.55 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 14.43 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 14.43 | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.52 | 14.19 | 15.06 | 7 |
| 1990s | 15.84 | 15.32 | 16.18 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.58 | 13.93 | 15.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.49 | 13.84 | 14.74 | 9 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 35 Mauritania 34.28 compare
- 36 Haiti 33.41 compare
- 37 Democratic Republic of Congo 33.2 compare
- 38 Lesotho 32.95 compare
- 39 India 32.75 compare
- 40 Sao Tome and Principe 31.16 compare
- 41 Kenya 30.65 compare
More education data for North America
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0687 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.20 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, per capita 0.0738 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in North America was 14.43 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 16.18 in 1995.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.84 in 2010.
- How does North America rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- North America ranks 38th out of 43 groups with data for 2018.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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.