Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 37.37 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 37.37 for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 44.31 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 35.4, in 1989.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 3rd of 41 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 37.33 | — |
| 1971 | 37.23 | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 37.16 | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 37.17 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 37.05 | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 37.19 | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 37.44 | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 37.65 | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 36.47 | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 36.42 | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 37.27 | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 37.35 | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 37.36 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 36.99 | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 36.89 | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 36.97 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 36.7 | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 37.1 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 36.68 | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 35.4 | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 36.19 | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 36.15 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 36.1 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 36.62 | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 37.8 | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 38.19 | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 38.16 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 40.68 | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 41.17 | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 41.09 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 42.29 | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 42.46 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 43.14 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 42.44 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 42.64 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 42.77 | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 43.42 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 44.31 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 43.82 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 43.18 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 41.62 | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 40.83 | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 42.23 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 38.8 | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 37.99 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 37.51 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 37.51 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 37.37 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 37.37 | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.11 | 36.42 | 37.65 | 10 |
| 1980s | 36.87 | 35.4 | 37.36 | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.21 | 36.1 | 41.17 | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.05 | 42.29 | 44.31 | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.02 | 37.37 | 42.23 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 37.37 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 44.31 in 2007.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.4 in 1989.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 3rd out of 41 groups with data for 2018.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.