Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal

Portugal: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 12.35 in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
12.35
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
164th
of 199 countries
All-time high
26.5
in 1973
All-time low
10.53
in 2005
Years of data
38
1973–2017

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal, 1973–2017

01020301973199520171973: 26.51974: 24.61975: 21.41976: 20.21977: 19.31978: 19.11979: 18.81980: 181981: 181982: 18.11983: 17.91984: 17.41985: 171986: 16.81987: 16.41990: 14.91991: 14.11992: 14.11993: 13.21994: 12.22000: 13.22001: 12.92002: 11.12003: 11.12004: 11.62005: 10.52006: 10.62007: 11.72008: 11.32009: 11.22010: 10.82011: 11.12012: 11.72013: 12.82014: 13.42015: 13.32016: 12.82017: 12.4

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Portugal recorded 12.35 for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in 2017.

The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal peaked at 26.5 in 1973 and was at its lowest, 10.53, in 2005.

Portugal ranks 164th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal, 1973 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1973 26.5
1974 24.57 -7.3%
1975 21.42 -12.8%
1976 20.25 -5.5%
1977 19.28 -4.8%
1978 19.12 -0.8%
1979 18.75 -1.9%
1980 18.03 -3.8%
1981 18.04 +0.0%
1982 18.13 +0.5%
1983 17.91 -1.2%
1984 17.42 -2.7%
1985 17.02 -2.3%
1986 16.84 -1.0%
1987 16.36 -2.9%
1990 14.86 -9.2%
1991 14.14 -4.9%
1992 14.13 -0.0%
1993 13.21 -6.5%
1994 12.16 -8.0%
2000 13.24 +8.9%
2001 12.95 -2.2%
2002 11.07 -14.5%
2003 11.11 +0.4%
2004 11.57 +4.1%
2005 10.53 -9.0%
2006 10.6 +0.7%
2007 11.73 +10.6%
2008 11.26 -3.9%
2009 11.25 -0.1%
2010 10.83 -3.7%
2011 11.1 +2.5%
2012 11.73 +5.7%
2013 12.78 +8.9%
2014 13.41 +4.9%
2015 13.31 -0.7%
2016 12.78 -4.0%
2017 12.35 -3.3%

Portugal compared with similar countries

  • Portugal's 12.35 is below the median for high income countries, which is 13.51, 91% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
  • Portugal's 12.35 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 13.51, 91% of the median. (51 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21.41 18.75 26.5 7
1980s 17.47 16.36 18.13 8
1990s 13.7 12.16 14.86 5
2000s 11.53 10.53 13.24 10
2010s 12.29 10.83 13.41 8

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 161 Malta 12.94 compare
  2. 162 Lebanon 12.48 compare
  3. 163 Antigua and Barbuda 12.41 compare
  4. 165 Germany 12.3 compare
  5. 166 Sweden 12.23 compare
  6. 167 Costa Rica 12.2 compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal?
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal was 12.35 in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 26.5 in 1973.
What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 10.53 in 2005.
How does Portugal rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
Portugal ranks 164th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.
Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal 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

CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/pupil-teacher-ratio-primary/portugal/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/pupil-teacher-ratio-primary/portugal/">Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Portugal</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 8,053 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.