Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary was 15.13 in 2017. ▼ Falling
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom, 1971–2017
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 15.13 for pupil-teacher ratio, primary in 2017.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom peaked at 23.33 in 1971 and was at its lowest, 15.05, in 2016.
That places United Kingdom 134th out of 199 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 23.33 | — |
| 1972 | 22.64 | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 21.72 | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 21.09 | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 20.55 | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 20.03 | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 20.11 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 19.94 | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 19.37 | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 18.99 | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 18.72 | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 18.26 | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 17.98 | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 17.52 | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 20.29 | +15.8% |
| 1988 | 20.33 | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 19.62 | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 19.68 | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 19.78 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 19.81 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 18.69 | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 18.66 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 17.59 | -5.8% |
| 2002 | 17.18 | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 17.1 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 18.09 | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 17.47 | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 18.08 | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 17.24 | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 18.27 | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 17.96 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 17.53 | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 17.27 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 18.31 | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 18.44 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 16.55 | -10.2% |
| 2016 | 15.05 | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 15.13 | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.98 | 19.37 | 23.33 | 9 |
| 1980s | 18.96 | 17.52 | 20.33 | 8 |
| 1990s | 19.49 | 18.69 | 19.81 | 4 |
| 2000s | 17.77 | 17.1 | 18.66 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.9 | 15.05 | 18.44 | 7 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 131 Azerbaijan 15.43 compare
- 132 Armenia 15.42 compare
- 133 Bulgaria 15.21 compare
- 135 American Samoa 15.05 compare
- 136 New Zealand 14.92 compare
- 137 North Macedonia 14.91 compare
More education data for United Kingdom
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.73 (2018)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.93 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom?
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in United Kingdom was 15.13 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 23.33 in 1971.
- What is the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, primary recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.05 in 2016.
- How does United Kingdom rank for pupil-teacher ratio, primary?
- United Kingdom ranks 134th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pupil-teacher ratio, primary rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.