Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members
OECD members: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 15.32 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members, 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
OECD members recorded 15.32 for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members peaked at 20.75 in 1971 and was at its lowest, 15.32, in 2018.
That places OECD members 36th out of 43 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20.61 | — |
| 1971 | 20.75 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 20.66 | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 20.53 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 20.49 | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 20.48 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 20.54 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 20.47 | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 20.43 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 20.46 | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 20.15 | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 20.06 | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 19.93 | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 19.85 | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 19.77 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 19.56 | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 19.36 | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 19.33 | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 19.19 | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 19.04 | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 18.91 | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 18.73 | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 18.61 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 18.46 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 18.1 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 18.17 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 18.1 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 17.98 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 18.05 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 17.85 | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 17.52 | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 17.5 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 17.2 | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 17.14 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 16.93 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 16.71 | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 16.5 | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 16.31 | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 16.17 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 16.1 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 15.85 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 15.96 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 16 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 15.96 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 15.86 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 15.65 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 15.41 | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 15.33 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 15.32 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.54 | 20.43 | 20.75 | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.63 | 19.04 | 20.15 | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.29 | 17.85 | 18.91 | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.81 | 16.1 | 17.52 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.71 | 15.32 | 16 | 9 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More education data for OECD members
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2049 % change on previous year (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 116.41 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0654 units per person (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 6.28 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91.38 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, per capita 0.0833 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in OECD members was 15.32 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 20.75 in 1971.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.32 in 2018.
- How does OECD members rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- OECD members ranks 36th out of 43 groups with data for 2018.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.
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About this data
Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.