Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education by country
A qualified teacher is one who has the minimum academic qualifications necessary to teach at a primary level of education in a given country.
Countries reporting
113
Highest
175.19 pupils per teacher
Madagascar
Lowest
8.24 pupils per teacher
Puerto Rico
Median
21.37 pupils per teacher
Years covered
26
2000–2025
Data points
1,060
What the numbers show
Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education is currently reported for 113 countries. The highest value is 175.19 pupils per teacher in Madagascar; the lowest is 8.24 pupils per teacher in Puerto Rico.
The median across all reporting countries is 21.37 pupils per teacher, and the mean is 28.69 pupils per teacher.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 21.
Over the past decade 38 countries rose and 71 fell. The largest increase was in Madagascar (up 317.0%), and the largest decrease in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (down 84.1%).
Pupils per qualified teacher in primary education: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madagascar | 175.19 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 317.0% | volatile |
| 2 | Belize | 158.71 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 104.3% | rising |
| 3 | Chad | 87.54 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 37.6% | falling |
| 4 | Togo | 84.45 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 37.8% | falling |
| 5 | Liberia | 64.66 pupils per teacher | 2022 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 6 | Cameroon | 63.48 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 16.7% | volatile |
| 7 | Sierra Leone | 61.51 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 8 | Burundi | 60.79 pupils per teacher | 2025 | up 40.6% | rising |
| 9 | Mozambique | 57.29 pupils per teacher | 2022 | down 8.2% | flat |
| 10 | Malawi | 54.32 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 46.3% | falling |
| 11 | Afghanistan | 54.03 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 12 | Palestine | 53.24 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 13 | Benin | 51.88 pupils per teacher | 2021 | down 20.5% | falling |
| 14 | Ethiopia | 51.72 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 4.6% | flat |
| 15 | Tanzania | 50.75 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 16 | Cambodia | 49.24 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 17 | Cote d'Ivoire | 46.14 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 4.2% | flat |
| 18 | Ghana | 45.53 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 24.3% | falling |
| 19 | Rwanda | 44.08 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 24.4% | falling |
| 20 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 43.5 pupils per teacher | 2023 | up 23.2% | rising |
| 21 | Niger | 43.12 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 19.6% | rising |
| 22 | Vanuatu | 37.74 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 15.9% | falling |
| 23 | Eswatini | 37.57 pupils per teacher | 2022 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 24 | Gambia | 36.87 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 14.8% | falling |
| 25 | Burkina Faso | 36.75 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 26 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 35.99 pupils per teacher | 2023 | up 147.9% | volatile |
| 27 | Mongolia | 35.44 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 27.6% | rising |
| 28 | Cook Islands | 34.93 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 100.9% | rising |
| 29 | Zimbabwe | 32.86 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 30 | Senegal | 32.72 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 31 | Egypt | 31.88 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 32 | Lebanon | 31.43 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 129.8% | rising |
| 33 | Lesotho | 31.14 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 31.3% | falling |
| 34 | Suriname | 30.46 pupils per teacher | 2023 | up 122.7% | rising |
| 35 | Solomon Islands | 29.91 pupils per teacher | 2019 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 36 | Nauru | 29.88 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 62.1% | falling |
| 37 | Namibia | 29.12 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 38 | Grenada | 28.63 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 68.4% | rising |
| 39 | Kenya | 28.57 pupils per teacher | 2023 | — | rising |
| 40 | Bhutan | 27.21 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 32.0% | falling |
| 41 | El Salvador | 26.95 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 42 | Uzbekistan | 26.12 pupils per teacher | 2025 | up 33.0% | rising |
| 43 | Djibouti | 25.45 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 44 | India | 25.31 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 36.8% | falling |
| 45 | Turkmenistan | 25.27 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 46 | Laos | 24.77 pupils per teacher | 2018 | down 23.7% | falling |
| 47 | Iran | 24.4 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 4.9% | flat |
| 48 | Philippines | 24.3 pupils per teacher | 2022 | down 22.0% | falling |
| 49 | Morocco | 24.26 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 5.5% | flat |
| 50 | Kiribati | 24.15 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 51 | Bangladesh | 23.59 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 21.2% | rising |
| 52 | Colombia | 23.46 pupils per teacher | 2022 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 53 | Ecuador | 23.25 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 54 | Nepal | 23.12 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 55 | Algeria | 22.73 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 4.6% | volatile |
| 56 | Sri Lanka | 21.93 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 19.3% | falling |
| 57 | Armenia | 21.37 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 38.6% | rising |
| 58 | Cape Verde | 20.18 pupils per teacher | 2022 | down 17.2% | falling |
| 59 | Bahamas | 20.07 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 60 | Belarus | 19.98 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 20.6% | rising |
| 61 | Tuvalu | 19.88 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 2.5% | rising |
| 62 | Tonga | 19.85 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 14.5% | falling |
| 63 | Indonesia | 19.53 pupils per teacher | 2025 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 64 | Marshall Islands | 19.11 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 65 | Moldova | 18.6 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 66 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 18.27 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 43.4% | falling |
| 67 | Fiji | 18.1 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 7.6% | falling |
| 68 | Jamaica | 17.94 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 22.3% | falling |
| 69 | Micronesia (country) | 17.45 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 29.8% | falling |
| 70 | Jordan | 17.34 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 71 | Trinidad and Tobago | 16.44 pupils per teacher | 2024 | — | falling |
| 72 | China | 16.31 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 73 | Tunisia | 15.81 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 74 | Azerbaijan | 15.61 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 75 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 15.36 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 84.1% | volatile |
| 76 | Uruguay | 15.23 pupils per teacher | 2023 | up 28.5% | rising |
| 77 | Serbia | 15.22 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 78 | Lithuania | 15.2 pupils per teacher | 2020 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 79 | Albania | 15.11 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 42.1% | falling |
| 80 | Niue | 15 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 81 | Seychelles | 14.96 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 19.8% | falling |
| 82 | United Arab Emirates | 14.76 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 19.1% | falling |
| 83 | Thailand | 14.56 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 84 | Dominican Republic | 14.51 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 42.7% | falling |
| 85 | South Korea | 14.48 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 86 | Singapore | 14.35 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 87 | Gibraltar | 14.34 pupils per teacher | 2023 | up 4.1% | flat |
| 88 | Dominica | 14.1 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 12.9% | volatile |
| 89 | Saudi Arabia | 14.09 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 74.4% | rising |
| 90 | Kazakhstan | 13.91 pupils per teacher | 2025 | down 14.1% | falling |
| 91 | Mauritius | 13.76 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 26.5% | falling |
| 92 | Cayman Islands | 13.42 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 93 | United States | 13.39 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 94 | Macao | 13.24 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 95 | Brunei | 13.2 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 31.8% | rising |
| 96 | Bahrain | 13.01 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 97 | Monaco | 12.24 pupils per teacher | 2024 | — | rising |
| 98 | Maldives | 12.18 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 99 | Qatar | 12.07 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 100 | Malaysia | 12 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 5.1% | flat |
| 101 | Portugal | 11.78 pupils per teacher | 2020 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 102 | Spain | 11.77 pupils per teacher | 2023 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 103 | Costa Rica | 11.69 pupils per teacher | 2020 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 104 | Hong Kong | 11.66 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 105 | Cuba | 11.44 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 106 | Cyprus | 11.27 pupils per teacher | 2021 | — | falling |
| 107 | Oman | 10.31 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 108 | British Virgin Islands | 10.29 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 109 | Barbados | 10.25 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 44.6% | falling |
| 110 | Andorra | 10.21 pupils per teacher | 2024 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 111 | Tokelau | 10 pupils per teacher | 2025 | up 7.8% | flat |
| 112 | San Marino | 8.62 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 38.1% | falling |
| 113 | Puerto Rico | 8.24 pupils per teacher | 2024 | down 38.7% | falling |
About this data
A qualified teacher is one who has the minimum academic qualifications necessary to teach at a primary level of education in a given country.