Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden
Sweden: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 12.23 in 2017. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden, 1971–2017
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2017, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden stood at 12.23.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 24.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden peaked at 20.44 in 1976 and was at its lowest, 9.27, in 2011.
Sweden ranks 166th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 19.98 | — |
| 1972 | 19.46 | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 17.19 | -11.7% |
| 1974 | 16.86 | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 16.03 | -4.9% |
| 1976 | 20.44 | +27.5% |
| 1993 | 9.55 | -53.3% |
| 1994 | 10.16 | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 10.52 | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 11.21 | +6.6% |
| 1997 | 11.83 | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 12.45 | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 12.32 | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 11.84 | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 11.4 | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 11.47 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 11.19 | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 10.11 | -9.6% |
| 2005 | 10.05 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 9.97 | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 9.8 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 9.55 | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 9.34 | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 9.54 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 9.27 | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 9.65 | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 11.81 | +22.4% |
| 2014 | 11.93 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 12.1 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 12.35 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 12.23 | -1.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 12.23 is below the median for high income countries, which is 13.51, 91% of the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 12.23 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 13.51, 91% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | -53.3% | 20.44 | 9.55 |
| 1976 | +27.5% | 16.03 | 20.44 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.33 | 16.03 | 20.44 | 6 |
| 1990s | 11.15 | 9.55 | 12.45 | 7 |
| 2000s | 10.47 | 9.34 | 11.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.11 | 9.27 | 12.35 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More education data for Sweden
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 77,813 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,302 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 235,975 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 222,360 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 987,895 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 859,847 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8572 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0814 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in Sweden was 12.23 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 20.44 in 1976.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.27 in 2011.
- How does Sweden rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- Sweden ranks 166th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden 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 — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.